"Okay, let''s try this again."
Tanya was seated on a stump with Ralts on her lap. At her request, the others had given them space and were somewhere deeper in the forest.
There were difficult truths she had to get at and she thought privacy best to share them.
In her left hand was a picture book, designed to teach children how to read. She flipped the page and pointed to the image of a pregnant woman.
"Ralts, can you tell me what this is."
While waiting for a response she absentmindedly brushed the green hair to the side so it wouldn''t get in the way.
''Human.'' Ralts transmitted and she followed up after seeing Tanya''s lack of confirmation. ''Target?''
"No!" Why in the world would she think that? "That''s a pregnant woman. That means she''s going to be a¡"
Tanya trailed off, letting Ralts fill in the blank.
''Parent.''
Progress, not the amount she wanted but she could build on it.
"Yes-"
Tanya couldn''t finish, Ralts'' curious mind coming up with a question she wasn''t equipped to deal with.
''How?''
One would think that someone who had experienced death would be non-plussed in even the gravest of situations.
One would be an idiot and she frantically flipped the page.
"Ask me when you''re older. On second thought, ask Mawile." She stopped at a page with a mother rolling a stroller with a baby. This was safer. Probably. "Now Ralts, what is this."
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She pointed to the baby with a great deal of trepidation.
''Societal drain.''
Tanya''s grip on the book tightened.
"No," where in the hell was she learning these things? "That''s a baby, it''s not expected to contribute to society until much later. Can you tell me what the baby would call the woman?"
''...''
Depending on how old it was, that wasn''t wrong. It also meant this method was not working.
Tanya wasn''t the type to repeat an action doomed to failure so she switched tactics. She pointed at herself.
"My name is¡"
''Mama.''
She retained a neutral expression, anything else would be unproductive.
"That''s not right." She spoke gently to soften the blow. "My name is Tanya, can you say Tanya?"
Ralts rubbed her chin and then blinked up at her with bright pink eyes.
''Mama.''
Tanya took a breath, willing herself to be patient.
"Say T."
''T''
"Say A."
''A''
"Say N."
''N''
"Say Y."
''Y''
"Say A."
''A''
"That spells¡"
''Mama.''
She was getting nowhere fast. It was time to bring out the big guns. Tanya slipped a hand in her pocket and retrieved a picture. It was of a Gardevoir she found in some magazine.
Tanya wasn''t given a chance to ask the question.
''Poser.'' The Pokemon declared sending a wave of dismissal her way. Her pack, resting near the tent, shook and the Mega Stone lept into Ralts hand. She held it up for Tanya to see. ''Mama''
She reached up, her tiny white arm stretching far enough to poke Tanya on the forehead.
''Mama.''
Troublesome Families - Post Chapter 18
Old as she may be now, her power had not dulled. She could still put the hatchlings, juveniles, and full-growns in their place when the moment called for it.
Unfortunately, that was often.
Even as a proud true-blooded dragon, she could acknowledge that in her youth she had been more than a handful.
But it hadn''t been this bad. Right?
She sent a silent prayer to the Great Order asking for forgiveness. The hatchlings would have balked at her, the head of their pod, showing remorse. They didn''t yet understand how far Zygarde stood above them.
Great Fin had only heard the stories from her mother, who heard it from hers, and so on. It was a proud tradition, this current batch was stubborn with the lesson.
That one was missing was distressing. Moving dens always carried a risk but losing a hatchling was unacceptable. She blamed herself for it, they''d been too lax in their oversight.
The hatchling would be retrieved. That had long since been decided.
How it would be, was not.
She knew the human den was formidable, that was why they struck at the strays. Isolated, they could not stand against the might of a dragon. After defeating them, the pod let them flee to their den. The tales of their might spread day by day and soon the perpetrator would be forced to return their hatchling.
She knew there were champions among the humans, those who could challenge her. But she had not grown this old by being foolish.
To Garchomp, the earth was akin to the sea. And they knew how to navigate her far better than any human. Unless by her decree, the human champions would find naught but sand.
Still, an alternative had presented itself.
Great Fin watched the small one talk with her eldest. It was a rare gift, she''d only heard tell of it. She could see her most problematic child eye the young human.
Great Fin snorted, causing members of her pod to turn her way. She snorted again, telling them to mind their business.
Sharp Fin had thought the girl weak because she was not able to secure food to grow. She failed to see that the girl''s continued survival proved her strength.
When the young dragon said the human smelled funny, Great Fin nearly lost her composure.
Yes, she smelt funny because the welp had never smelled a proper predator. It was Great Fin''s fault, she''d been too adept at choosing their dens.
Sharp Fin needed more growing. Great Fin had hoped her match with the predator would have imparted a valuable lesson. From the look she still gave the girl, a few more lessons might be called for.
There was a shift in her eldest''s demeanor, something the girl had said agitated him. Great Fin began to rise. She settled down as his mate delivered a blow strong enough to shake the trees.
She had always approved of that one.
Great Fin was not the only one to notice the building aggression. The one who saw it fit to challenge her eldest and his mate had been bouncing on her heels, eager to prove her mettle.
The old dragon watched as the girl released an exasperated sigh and rebuked the child.
Great Fin snorted again.
The girl failed to notice her youngest child had moved first, angling the blade in such a way that most would not notice. Great Fin''s nature dictated the green hair was not a threat, something deep within her decided otherwise.
It seemed she was not the only one with a troublesome family.
"Chomp!"
She stomped on the ground, alerting her pod that their visit had concluded. They''d imposed long enough and the girl needed her sleep if she were to fulfill her task.
Great Fin''s eyes traced over to the juveniles fighting over the shiny one. She released a heated breath.
It was always something.
Chapter 19
The denial died on her lips. As much as she wanted to pretend she''d never met the teen, she wanted to avoid causing a scene even more.
"Righ, uhh." The teen shifted uncomfortably in his sandals, looking a tad awkward. "I wanted to say I was." He paused and Tanya hoped he''d lose his nerve over whatever he wanted to say. "Kinda an ass the other day. It''s been a-." He cut himself off and shook his head. "Well, it doesn''t matter. So yeah¡"
He trailed off and looked at her expectantly.
"I don''t think it''s me you should be apologizing to."
Her party had come out of it unscathed. Weathering a few insults for a couple of thousand PokeDollars was a good deal to her.
"I think it''s better for everyone if I keep out of that part of the city," the kid spoke after some hesitation. "Anyways, Furfrou is fine." She hadn''t been asking after its health. "The nurse read me the riot act. Turns out you need to tell the groomer you''re planning on battling. They can use league-certified products rated for combat, they''re pricier but that''s not an issue."
Tanya glanced down quickly, wondering if she was wearing some manner of sign saying she wanted to have his conversion.
"That''s nice," Tanya slid her legs off the pool chair and stood up, beckoning Carbink. "But we must be going now."
She gave no further explanation and her brow raised in irritation when he stood in front of her way with hands outstretched.
"Why the rush? It''s not like there''s much to do in this place." His words were a mixture of pleading and whining. "Speaking of, I didn''t realize you were staying here. I''m surprised we haven''t run into each other before."
He scrutinized her with a slight frown.
She had been prepared to meekly comply with the first hotel staff member who confronted her, but for some reason, she couldn''t bring herself to do the same with the boy
"I''ve only recently arrived here," she chose her words carefully. "I''ve been rather busy recently with training."
The right side of his mouth pulled back and he regarded her with a queer expression.
"Figures you''d be one of those. Isn''t it way too early to be gearing up for the circuit? I''m still gathering a team for my run."
It would be kicked off in a month or two, she hadn''t looked up the date but it was impossible to stay completely ignorant with all the advertisements floating around.
"I have no intention of participating in that. I''m training for peace of mind."
As soon as the words finished leaving her lips, she determined enough had been said to politely diffuse the conversation and Tanya gave the boy a nod before sidestepping him.
Carbink and her made it several steps before the sound of slapping sandals heralded the teen catching up to her and matching her pace.
"Where''s the shrimp?" The teen carried on, somehow missing every cue she''d given. "I mean Ralts."
Tanya felt Mimikyu tense and took decisive action, hugging the Mareep doll closer to her chest.
"Oh, sorry." The boy continued, heedless of how much danger he''d just been. "I didn''t mean to upset you there."
Tanya released a breath as Mimikyu seemed to settle some. He was supposed to be the well-behaved one.
"She is resting. Ralts may be small in stature but judging someone by their size is foolish."
Mawile was half her height and could uproot trees, she''d like Ralts to gain some inches but with or without she could become a potent force multiplier.
"If you say so," the teen commented in a way that conveyed his lack of belief. "Probably for the best. You have to admit she''s pretty creepy."
Aura reinforced her arms and she put the doll into a stranglehold. She could feel Mimikyu begging to struggle and she buried her into the fluff of the Mareep.
"Knock it off," Tanya gritted out in a low tone, her words muffled by the cloth. "Not here."
It was like everything she''d said went in one ear and out the other.
"Woah, woah," The boy said in an almost panicked voice. "I didn''t mean to make you cr-"
Her head lifted from the Mareep''s embrace and she regarded him with a steady-unblinking stare; the words died in his throat. She kept a tight hold on Mimikyu with one arm while the other stroked the doll''s head awkwardly. She didn''t know if the Pokemon responded well to this type of motivation but had to try something to pacify him.
"Nevermind¡"
The boy looked to grow uncomfortable and she put him out of her mind, continuing back into the hotel while working on Mimikyu. What she was doing appeared to show positive results so she maintained course.
Stopping for a brief second, she decided to take a calculated risk and go for one of the staircases.
She ascended it smoothly and was disappointed to find it stopped at the second floor. Tanya began down a hallway, noting the conference-like rooms she passed along the way. She also noted her tag-along hadn''t left.
"Carbink huh," the boy spoke, getting over whatever his hang-up was. "They''re not really known for being battlers. Did your parents give it to you?"
"Bin?"
Her companion seemed to notice he''d become the subject of discussion. Carbink looked more puzzled than offended but she supposed that was his default position.
"Carbink struggles with offensive capabilities," the teen didn''t look to be going anywhere and she was not about to cause a scene by running or telling him off. "We''re working on correcting that but his defensive abilities are nothing to dismiss, many opponents would exhaust themselves before doing any meaningful damage."
Tanya''s style was centered on maneuver warfare. Strike hard, strike fast, and, at all times, keep them guessing where you are. Being pinned down was synonymous with death.
Carbink on the other hand¡could literally sit there and have his attacker pass out from exertion. It was rather infuriating to witness such a strategy succeed, especially when she was the one trying to hide how her arms felt like jello after blunting a spare knife on his hide.
Not that her aim was to hurt him to begin with, if that was the case she''d order Mawile to give it a go. No, he just always volunteered when she wanted to test things. She would have used a tree or boulder but those quickly became scarce resources near their camps¡
"Sounds like a boring way to fight."
He commented with a dismissive attitude that Tanya found irritating.
"Are they meant to be entertaining? The point is to ensure victory, it doesn''t matter what you do to obtain it."
Tanya began to suspect the boy was bereft of common sense.
"Unless you''re doing Pokemon Contest, I guess not." The teen muttered, getting a strange look in his eye. "But you''re still expected to put on some type of show. You can''t just say no to all that."
Ah, perhaps she''d been too harsh. She hadn''t realized that was a social norm.
There had been many times in her first and second world where she was similarly constrained by societal conventions. Despite not agreeing with them, she followed them dutifully. She didn''t want to be the protruding nail that got hammered down.
Tanya wasn''t keen on adding ''winning with flair'' as a condition for victory, it was another compelling reason to never be an official trainer.
"For clarity, I''m much more concerned with the practical purposes of battling. I prefer some level of insurance when traveling, the roads can be hazardous."
She thought this world was more ridiculous by the day. Being accosted by a pack of dragons while being in such close proximity to a populous city was a frightening prospect. It made her wonder how safe the cities themselves actually were.
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Honestly, not having a highly trained and capable team by your side at all times was beginning to look like an irresponsible move. They may have been a drag on expenses but the most valuable investment one could make was in securing the safety of one''s life.
"Why not just take a plane or ferry? Those will get you to most places and if not you can always hire an escort."
It was a wonderful suggestion, had she a proper ID and an excess in funds. Tanya sincerely looked forward to the day she could sit in a first-class cabin and peacefully transit the continent.
As for now, she looked at Carbink, who''d gotten oddly quiet. He was keeping up with her but occasionally did a twirl with a silly smile on his face. She wasn''t sure what had gotten into him but she used his previous words for the inspiration of her next explanation.
"Some of us prefer the journey over the destination," She was paraphrasing liberally and didn''t believe a word that came out of her mouth. "If two people stood at the peak of a mountain and one was flown up there while the other hiked their way up, would you say they had the same view?"
Objectively, the answer was ''yes''. Her framing of the question was meant to trick him into thinking it was not and reinforce her excuse.
His brow furrowed and a frown overcame him. The teen''s mouth parted multiple times without a word being uttered.
Tanya''s eyes lit up as she spotted an elevator. It was strange to have one so far down the hallway but she must have missed the earlier ones. She readily pressed the up arrow and waited.
The numbers overhead ticked down steadily, showing its impending arrival.
"I think." He paused, unsure in his response. "They''re different." He nodded, giving what she thought passed for an introspective expression on his face. "I''ve thought about this before, a lot actually. Kinda impossible not to do with my dad around, but never in this way. Yeah, I see what you''re saying."
Leading the youth astray was not something an upstanding citizen should find pleasure in, but she couldn''t help the small tinge of satisfaction from having her bait so thoroughly swallowed. Of course, that wasn''t her problem. She gave a silent apology to the boy''s family and entered the now-open elevator.
Her finger pressed against the gilded floor button. It didn''t light up. She pressed it again to no effect. Several other ones were tried with similar results.
The button lights must have been broken, so much for this being a fancy hotel.
The teen stepped inside, glancing at her and then the row of unlit floor buttons. He pressed on one and it lit up accordingly.
"You''re not actually staying here are you?"
Had she made a mistake? Why did it work for him?
She made a great effort to resist facepalming upon realizing the cause, there must be some sort of electronic pass needed to operate the elevator. She wouldn''t have made the mistake had it a visible card reader but it must work on some wireless signal.
Living in a world more advanced than her first and second brought its own trials.
"Not exactly," she admitted with a sigh. "I was merely exploring and got lost."
Even she was not convinced by that statement but what more could she do?
"Huh." The boy eyed her quizzically, his gaze drifting down. "You know, I can''t believe I didn''t notice it before, but that does explain that."
She followed the finger and realized that for all the effort of donning a dress, she''d left her combat boots on.
Old habits died hard.
¡ª
Tanya was never one to miss an opportunity. She''d jumped through many hoops in her life and tolerating unpleasant people was a skill she''d long since honed.
It was impressive in a sense, that she was reconsidering how badly she needed to be doing recon.
"I told you this place was lame, not sure why you wanted to visit so badly."
Theo, the teen who''d latched himself on to her, complained at the other end of the table they were sat at.
His reaction to finding out she''d been trespassing had been one of bemusement and interest. With little coaxing, he''d taken her up to the tenth floor and shown her around. It was a fairly basic layout but she took note of the service entrance. Sadly, he didn''t have access to the thirteenth floor so she had to finally be satisfied with what she''d gotten.
What she hadn''t accounted for was him following her outside. Didn''t he have anything better to do? Regardless, she leveraged his presence into accessing one of the few places on her list that was open during the day.
By night their current venue served as a club but by day it doubled as a restaurant. The building was located adjacent to the boardwalk and overlooked the water. The rooftop was generally reserved for a certain type of clientele but evidently, her accomplice qualified well enough.
She sipped on her glass of water and looked at the setup. The tables were pushed up against the edges of the roof, with each being afforded a view of the city, the water, or both. At the center lay a dance floor with a DJ station being manned by a Loudred, they weren''t native so she suspected that was another subtle sign of wealth.
Due to the time of day, the floor lay mostly bare but there were some older couples enjoying the early sun. Tanya kept an eye on the bouncing jewel attracting far more attention than she''d prefer. She let it slide, telling Carbink he couldn''t dance seemed unnecessarily cruel to her.
Tanya had placed Mimikyu on her left with Ralts sitting on her right.
''Fight, Crush?''
Tanya brought a hand up and massaged her temple. Ralts had not only developed a nasty habit of treating everything and anything as a threat, but she seemed almost eager to preemptively eliminate them. Reminding herself of the Pokemon''s trauma was the only reason she did not scold her.
"Eat your Poke Puff." Tanya grabbed a spoon and split off a small part of the cake-like confection to feed the Pokemon. "Open up."
The spoon delivered its contents and a strong feeling of being content was projected to her. A piece of it missed Ralts'' mouth and fell beneath the table, only to be caught by Ralts'' psychic ability and then ferried over to an awaiting claw. The claw retracted back into the doll unseen, their coordination was admirable.
Tanya used her free hand to take another sip of the water. All they were missing was Mawile but she thought it more likely than not her addition would end with the boy launched into the bay.
Presumably, as a token of goodwill, Theo had offered to pay for their visit. It wasn''t yet noon so she wasn''t hungry herself but when he ordered a Poke Puff for his Furfrou she couldn''t find it in her to deny Ralts one. She needed the nutrition after all.
Said Furfrou, did not look overly pleased at their presence. It watched them with narrowed eyes and released a growl. It wasn''t the first time it had done so.
"Furfrou." Theo bonked it on the nose, causing it to shake its head and look at him in askance. "Save that for the court."
It took a bite out of its own Poke Puff and raised its snout toward them.
"I would not be opposed to having a rematch." Those weren''t words she expected to ever leave her mouth, in this context at least. "You did mention wanting one."
"I do, we will," Theo confirmed before shaking his head. "But you already have two Pokemon. I''d like to do a real two-on-two match next time. Besides, I think Furfrou and I have some work to do."
"Frou, Fur."
The poodle, now styled in a different but equally absurd hairdo, commented and she shoved the spoon back into Ralts'' mouth before she could do anything regrettable.
It wasn''t wrong, Ralts had gotten remarkably lucky. But they''d also not been idle this last week, Ralts may have had a long way to go but she had a trick or two to tide her over until then.
"Where did you get her again?" Theo asked while shifting back into his seat. "And does she really need a steak knife to eat that?"
Tanya blinked, only now noticing the knife that Ralts had procured.
"Give me that," She snatched it from the Pokemon who sent her a feeling of confusion. Tanya glanced around and saw an older gentleman look around questioningly; there was a plate of steak and eggs in front of him. She slipped it under a napkin and pretended not to notice as he signaled a waiter and requested a new one. "Ralts was just practicing. She''s very dedicated and even trains when she really shouldn''t be."
Despite stressing the ''shouldn''t be'', Ralts was preening at the praise. They''d already talked about respecting the property of others, the only time it was acceptable not to was when¡
"Ralts, we''re not fighting today." Tanya turned the Pokemon''s head and made sure to meet the pink eyes. "Understand?"
''Yes, Mama.''
Tanya had thought she''d made that abundantly clear earlier but she supposed the clarification that they weren''t prepping for one either was needed.
Theo looked to swallow a remark and she cast her eyes elsewhere while absentmindly feeding Ralts.
Truthfully, after the hotel she didn''t need to see much of the other sites. All she had to do was understand how long the man spent in each one and the time it took to transit there from the hotel.
Still, she wasn''t going to take shortcuts. If only to set a proper example for the rest of the team.
"You know you don''t come off as someone who''d still play with dolls," Theo commented after some silence. "Good thing you got rid of the old one though, that one was nasty."
Her hand slammed on the table, grounding the knife that had begun to tremble. In the next instant, her foot stomped on a claw attempting to sneak its way under the table.
Did this idiot have a death wish?
Tanya''s actions caused the boy to jump in his seat while the Furfrou tilted its head, unsure of what was going on.
"Right¡" He started back up with some caution. "Are you hoping for a Mareep as your third? They show up on Route 12 sometimes but I know a guy who can get a good deal on one. Proper papers and everything. That''s how I got Furfrou."
The dog-like Pokemon puffed out its chest and Tanya couldn''t help but think that wasn''t the ringing endorsement he thought it was.
"Thank you, but dealing with my current team is troublesome enough," Tanya responded with a reprimanding tone, and the two troublemakers took the cue to settle down. "They also tend to find me."
Theo shrugged, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of his soda.
"If you say so, I''m still deciding what I want." He released a huff of frustration. "If I had known he had a Gible up for sale last week I would have jumped on it. Those things turn into a real beast when they grow up, pretty much guaranteed to get you a couple of badges."
What?
"Yeah, it was a private sale." Tanya had unintentionally spoken out loud and Theo went on to explain. "I told you how my dad''s been in a bunch of meetings this week, right?" He had, Theo''s father was in town for business and had dragged his son along as well. "One of the guys he''s working with bought it for his son. Lucky bastard."
There was no way that was the same missing Gible, was it?
The pit forming in her stomach told her it probably was. As someone with knowledge of statistics, she struggled to grapple with this level of coincidence.
No, this reeked of enemy action.
She''d been complacent but this must be the workings of Being X again, dragging her into a mess that would leave her in desperate straights.
The joke was on him, there was a simple solution here.
Tanya rose, prepared to leave before any more could be heard.
"Bink?" Carbink rushed over, a hopeful look on his face as his ears wagged up and down. She wasn''t sure how he had even overheard them from all the way over there. "Bin! Bin!"
Her feet stayed rooted in place at the sight of it, she wasn''t sure why that was the case. Tanya didn''t linger on it and grabbed his Pokeball, ready to recall him.
''Intelligence, good?''
Ralts tugged on her pant leg, staring up at her.
Tanya had once said how being willfully ignorant was an excuse to hide your incompetence. She couldn''t quite remember telling Ralts that but she must have repeated it at some point.
To use her own words against her¡
Tanya slumped back down into the seat and prompted the boy to elaborate on this supposed buyer. As she listened to what he had to say, she reinforced her decision to not get involved.
Unfortunately, she could not speak for the rest of her team.
Chapter 20
"This isn''t a democracy."
Tanya had thought that went without saying. If the current situation was any indication, she''d be wrong about that.
Her group was huddled near a bench. It was located just off a path that ran through the park they were in. The city had a glut of public parks, and while she found that wasteful, she was thankful for the lack of congestion it caused. There were others present here, but they kept to their groups, and she was comfortable that the distance was far enough to afford her some privacy.
She was standing, facing the bench with her arms crossed. Her clothes were back to normal, and her pack rested at her feet; she''d retrieved it after managing to shake Theo.
Opposite to her was her team. Ralts sat politely on the bench, side by side with Mimikyu, who was still in the Mareep. Carbink floated level with the backrest, and Mawile¡ was balanced precariously on said backrest. Presumably, that was to best her in height.
"Wa! Maw!"
She tried to initiate again, raising her hand to signal her vote. Carbink, in lieu of hands, had a single ear up. Ralts and Mimikyu made no motions.
"Ile." The Pokemon nodded to herself, only to have to stick her hands out and waggle them as a stiff breeze threatened to topple her. Tanya was disappointed when she managed to maintain her position on the narrow perch. "Maw, wile."
Carbink''s ear lowered at the same time Ralts'' hand went up. Mimikyu remained motionless; for all she knew, the Pokemon was napping.
''Vote, Mama.''
Tanya ignored that, sending a withering glare towards Mawile. She''d made her decision; the Gible was not worth the effort.
"As I said, this isn''t a democracy. I''m the trainer; what I say goes. You agreed to this when you signed the contract."
She''d gotten them all to sign variations of the one she made for Mimikyu. That Mawile hadn''t read hers wasn''t Tanya''s problem.
"Ile!" Mawile started another vote, this one with more dangerous implications.
Thankfully, her hand was the only one raised in the air.
"Wile¡" She directed at Carbink, who suddenly found the tree to their right very interesting. Mawile wasn''t satisfied with that. She hopped onto the Pokemon and attempted to pry his ear into the upright position.
"Bin!" Carbink seemed more surprised than upset and twirled erratically.
"That''s enough." Tanya approached the two, grabbing Mawile by the base of her black jaw and holding her aloft. It was quickly becoming her preferred method of handling the Pokemon. "We''re not voting for who gets to be the trainer."
Back in her day, such talks of mutiny would end in a firing squad. Tanya shook her head at the thought; she wasn''t even that old.
"Wa." Mawile didn''t struggle this time and simply crossed her arms while shooting Tanya a look of indignation.
"Don''t joke around like that. You''re setting a bad example for the others." Mawile rolled her eyes, looking to the side. "And don''t pretend to have noble intentions. You just want to increase the chance of something going wrong."
Tanya wondered if the Pokemon truly understood what consequences were. Not only did she live in the moment, but she seemed to incur joy in jeopardizing their long-term prospects. Had she not been a powerhouse, Tanya would have long since parted ways with the Pokemon.
"Bin, Bin?"
She turned to address the sole idealist in their group.
"We are helping. By delivering a letter to the relevant authorities, they''ll be able to properly resolve this issue."
Now that she knew who owned the Gible, it would be even easier. They could simply purchase it back from the buyer and return it to the pack of dragons. Whatever it cost, she doubted it was more than the disruptions the unruly Pokemon were causing on the route.
Of course, the government being the government, she was sure they''d somehow muck it up.
But that wasn''t her problem.
"Maw," her captive uttered with a grin.
"What do you mean, what letter?" Mawile had clearly seen her write it.
Something clicked, and she dropped the Pokemon. She crouched by her pack, going straight for the pocket she''d stored the note in.
It was empty.
"Ile." Mawile patted her stomach, pausing for a moment before releasing a burp.
She hoped the Pokemon got indigestion.
"I can write a new one."
It wouldn''t even take too long; it wasn''t a complex message. All Mawile had accomplished was to annoy her.
Her eyes narrowed upon realizing that may have been the goal.
"Tell you what," she lightened her tone to better hide her frustration. "If we complete our objective and are not at risk of being discovered, then we can see about rescuing the Gible."
Left out was the fact that Mawile wasn''t spending a second out of her ball if she could help it.
Gible''s new legal owner was a man named Arthur. Theo couldn''t properly articulate what his occupation was, but he was in a contract negotiation with the boy''s father for some media campaign. He was also staying in the same damn hotel, which made it awfully convenient to add the stray Pokemon to the list of things to take.
Tanya refused to be tempted. It was all too easy. She was close to calling the whole thing off. But, as long as she stuck to her original objective, there shouldn''t be any issues.
"Bin!"
Right, he was also going in the ball the moment his job was done.
"Yes," Tanya cautiously confirmed. "But only on my explicit go-ahead. I don''t care if you see the Gible yourself; you don''t move an inch without my say-so. Is that absolutely clear?"
She stared at each of them, making sure they all gave their assent before continuing.
"Okay, I''ve had thoughts about how we can breach the hotel. The bigger problem is going to be keeping track of Louis. We know the locations he goes to often. Trailing him this coming week and finding out his general schedule is a good start but." She brought a hand to her chin, rubbing it in thought. "His lifestyle is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means he''s predisposed to be out of his hotel room, but on the other hand, we can''t be certain of his whereabouts. He''s unpredictable."
Once they timed transit points between the hotel and his frequented places, she could estimate a minimum time spent out. But what if he forgot something and decided to turn around? She''d been caught unaware at the warehouse, and she was not going to let it happen again.
They needed a way to track him. Ideally, she''d be able to plant some manner of bug on him. Unfortunately, she didn''t have access to that type of technology. Perhaps the shady shopkeeper might have something, but she was wary of tipping her hand even further. Not to mention, she couldn''t guarantee whatever he gave her was tamper-free. The only reason she was using the phone he provided her with was because he wouldn''t have had the time to plant something in it.
''Mama.''
Tanya looked towards Ralts, who had stood, her hand outstretched. She followed the finger, seeing what it was pointing at.
"You just ate; we don''t want to ruin your lunch," Tanya lectured the Pokemon she was beginning to think was a bit of a glutton. The occasional snack was fine and all, but she didn''t want to find the Pokemon to only rely on that and then refuse to eat her proper meals.
"Wile," Mawile said while making a face.
Not a fan of pretzels then? She made a note of that for the future.
Tanya wasn''t particularly enthused about the dish either. She''d had her fill of them in the Empire''s service, and while she didn''t dislike them, there were better alternatives to source those calories.
The two of them looked to be in the minority, with the pretzel cart being fairly busy. It was the busiest part of the park, with the woman manning it serving customer after customer. Humans were not the only enjoyers either; aside from the occasional Pokemon sharing a bite with their trainer, the ever-present Wingulls sat at the sides, ready to swoop in if the opportunity presented it.
They were really an epidemic, blanketing the city with their sheer numbers.
''Coerce.''
Tanya was at a loss for words. There was something deeply wrong with Ralts. Why would they be coercing a cart vendor of all things? They weren''t some delinquents!
"Ralts, if you want one that badly, we can buy one."
She needed to find some trainers willing to do unofficial matches, or else her liquidity was going to continue to deteriorate.
A strange feeling was transmitted; it almost felt like embarrassment, but there was something off about it.
"Bin?" Carbink perked up, looking at the cart closely before bouncing up twice. "Ink, ink!"
Carbink bounded forward, toward the cart. Tanya was about to recall him when she noticed the direction he was headed was at a slight angle to the vendor.
More accurately, he was headed for the Wingulls¡
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Oh.
Tanya schooled her expression, being acutely aware of the stares on her.
Ralts hopped off the bench, padding forward and stopping at her leg. She soon felt gentle pats against her thigh.
It didn''t help.
Tanya would never look at birds the same way again.
She was kicking herself for the oversight; she knew Pokemon were intelligent beings. She had just never taken the extra step and realized they could self organize.
But the evidence for that sat in front of her.
They were at the northmost tip of the city now, in an area yet to be fully developed. The sound of crashing waves was a constant reminder to the ocean that lay a few meters down from the cliff they were near the edge of.
Perched on a stone as if it were some dais, was the fattest Pelipper she''d ever seen. With the way its bulk spilled out of its flanks, Tanya doubted in its ability to fly.
"Thank you for meeting with me." She kept its gaze while giving a bow of respect.
She didn''t have a good idea of what was appropriate here, but given that they were surrounded by Wingulls and other Pelipper, she wanted to avoid ruffling any feathers, so to speak.
The Pelipper''s gaze turned towards Tanya''s right.
Next to her was a disturbingly focused Mawile. One she was quick to elbow.
"Don''t even think of it," she whispered.
"Maw," she replied and pointed at something Tanya had been doing her best to ignore.
"I''ll get you a hat," Tanya replied while placing a hand on the Pokemon''s head. "Now show some respect."
Reluctantly, the Pokemon''s head dipped down.
Tanya looked back to the obese seagull wearing a bowler hat. She wasn''t sure where it had gotten it and was very much not going to ask.
"Wing, win," One of the Wingulls they met at the park flew up to the Pelliper and then continued in a low voice. "Gul, gul."
The Pelipper closed its eyes, nodding at the words.
When Ralts had brought up the possibility of leveraging the local bird Pokemon population to track her target, she wasn''t opposed. She''d actually thought it was a good use of her limited resources. Wild Pokemon were an unserved market; she could negotiate on favorable terms and give them access to things otherwise difficult to come by. Name brand food mainly.
It had started well too, with Carbink approaching a trio of Wingull. One of them had flown off in a rush, but the other two agreed to lead them to their boss.
The word ''boss'' should have been her first clue. She hadn''t thought they were being literal.
Or at least, it felt rather literal with the way the others of his flock acted. They were scattered across the cliff, watching and whispering amongst themselves. Some were also perched on rocks, but none of their seats were as large or tall as their boss'' throne.
Walking into this may not have been the wisest of actions, but she hadn''t known there would be so many of them. There was a persistent fog that obstructed their true numbers until it was too late.
''Decapitation strike.''
Yes, if it came down to it, that would be a prudent opening move¡
Tanya looked down at the green-haired Pokemon by her side. She''d considered leaving Ralts in her ball, but her ability to sense emotions would be a useful warning system for potential conflict. Perhaps it was naive of her to believe the tiny vessel of violence would not initiate it on her own.
She decided against recalling her; someone needed to still hold Mimikyu, and Tanya preferred to keep her hands free.
Movement from the Pelipper caught her eye, and she watched its beak convulse. The oversized orange bill opened, and something shot out, rolling across the ground and coming to a stop near her.
Tanya released the grip on her knife after seeing that the projectile happened to be a half-eaten berry.
She stared at it with perplexity until a Wingull flew out and landed near it, nudging it all the way to her feet with its smaller beak.
"Gull, ing," it explained and flew back to its position.
It took a great deal of effort not to show the revulsion on her face.
An elbow hit her side, its source being a smug-looking Mawile.
Seconds ticked by without her moving a muscle, and her host began to grow agitated. Squaks, little hops, and more blatant whispers could all be seen.
This could be a problem. Tanya turned around to look at Carbink who tilted his head.
Right, she''d never seen him eat, and she doubted this would be the moment he broke that trend. The only other way out was tugging at her pant leg and conveying a sense of excitement.
Tanya released a sigh, reaching down and doing what had to be done. She bit into an area of the berry that had no marks, and her tongue was assaulted with a tangy taste. She forced it down, plastering a smile on her face.
"Your hospitality is most gracious."
The fat on the bird jiggled, and he flapped his wings once, quieting the group.
"Pel, per."
What these guest rights she''d just been granted was unknown to her, but it did let some tension leave her.
Some, not all. She wasn''t a fool after all.
"If you would allow me." She made to reach for her pocket and paused, continuing only when she received a nod. She produced a neatly folded piece of paper. "I''ve long since heard of your influence in the city." The flattery flowed from her mouth. It wasn''t completely fabricated but it was a generous interpretation of the grumbles she''d heard tourist give about the nuisances Wingulls were. "I''m here to solicit your aid in tracking this individual of this picture. Is this something we can come to an arrangement on?"
Pelipper gestured, and a Wingull swooped down, taking the printout. It landed on Pelipper''s beak and held the page to its eyes. Another gesture and the Wingull went back to where it came.
The bird wobbled from side to side, seemingly weighing its options.
"Peli, er."
She didn''t know what a poffin was, let alone where to get a shipping container''s worth of them. This whole scenario was growing increasingly shaky.
"I see," she said diplomatically. "That may be difficult on my end. Are there alternatives you have in mind?"
Pelipper gave what she thought was a scoff before waving a wing at her.
"Lipp, per."
It was like that then.
Fine. She didn''t like the way this was going anyway.
"If that''s the case," she paused upon sensing a shift in the flock.
Beaks turned one by one toward the sea. Mawile stepped in front of her, cracking her kneck and rolling her shoulders.
Through the fog, dark shapes slowly grew clearer. Wingulls and Pelipper burst onto the scene, circling ominously above.
Tanya thought she was about to be in the middle of some territorial dispute between rival flocks when Ralts'' transmission shed some light.
''Boss'' boss.''
How well organized were these birds?
The newcomers landed one by one. There weren''t any overt disputes over the rock perches; some existing tenants vacated while others simply shuffled to the side, allowing a Wingull or Pelipper to take residence with them.
One of the new Pelippers took a seat close to the fat one. As far as the species went, it looked unremarkable. The only thing to tell her otherwise was the awkwardness that came over the ''boss.''
''Baby.'' Ralts pointed at the ''boss'' and then moved the finger to the newcomer. ''Parent.''
Ah, that''s what she meant.
"Bink, bin!" Carbink floated forward, meeting with one of the new arrivals.
They chirped amongst themselves, and Tanya picked up that this Wingull was from the park. It had split off to inform this other group of her presence. She wasn''t sure why that was the case.
The parent didn''t say anything, merely holding its wings to its sides and leveling a disappointed glare toward the overweight bird. It shook its head, turning to Tanya''s group and inspecting each of them.
"Pelip, pel," It said, seemingly satisfied with what it saw. "Lipper."
What?
There had to be a catch, some hidden condition.
It couldn''t just agree with no strings attached.
A soft look entered it¡ªno, her eyes¡ªand she continued.
"Pel, lip."
From one mother to another, huh? She was sure Garchomp would have appreciated the sentiment. It was a pity she wasn''t planning on passing the message.
Still, as long as it served her purposes, she didn''t mind misleading the Pokemon.
"Right, we can''t leave a hatchling out in the cold."
Mawile grumbled, kicking the dirt in frustration after being denied another fight.
That Pokemon really was a handful to deal with.
The interaction between the Pelippers came to the forefront of her mind. There was a pattern emerging of Pokemon being deferential to mother figures. The same could be seen in humans, but it struck her as more prominent among these creatures.
That was¡ interesting.
Chapter 21
Tanya had crossed her T''s and dotted her I''s, tonight would be the night. She sat at a bench alongside a sidewalk and watched as a formation of Wingulls circled overhead.
The team, barring Mimikyu, who was in his original doll, was stored away for now. They all knew their roles and what to expect; it was just a matter of waiting now.
She took the time to reflect on her time here so far. It was about two months now since she''d woken up in this world. That would be an eternity of time on the front, but here it had passed quickly. Despite the hyper-dangerous fauna that inhabited it, she found herself preferring this world over her last. There were a myriad reasons for that, but at this current moment, the one that stuck out was not having some idiot send her on suicide runs. If she decided to back out tonight, not that she was considering that course of action, there would be no black mark on her record. She had complete freedom in choosing a path to best meet her objective.
It was her preferred method of being managed; she didn''t need to have every action of hers dissected; results were what mattered. There was a brief pang of loss she felt over not being able to present her well-reasoned plan to a superior. It wasn''t any stroke of genius on her part, but she felt it properly leveraged the resources she had on hand.
When this was all done, perhaps she should write a book. She was sure once the news broke, the public would be ravenous for details on how this all played out. That had the potential for a great number of sales.
''Team Flare, how a cult was snuffed out''.
She could work on the name or have an editor make one up. She''d never considered taking the path of authorship; it was far too unpredictable for her taste. But she had practice in technical writing from penning proposals and theses. This couldn''t be that much different. Then again, that might be more of a spotlight than she was willing to take on. Fame was never the goal; all she really wanted was citizenship and a nice fat reward to pad her pocket.
The circling birds broke rank, diving into different parts of the city. To anyone else, it may have seemed coincidental, but to someone who knew the code?
Louis was leaving with two others towards the club she''d dubbed Bravo. That meant a commute of fifteen minutes.
Using aerial formations to deliver information had drawbacks. The obvious was that anyone looking up would see it. To mitigate this, she had to rely on security through obscurity. Which is to say most people won''t be looking up, and those who did won''t be jumping to the conclusion that the funny flying Wingulls were giving real-time information on the whereabouts of the local leader of a criminal syndicate. The second drawback was the limited amount of information that could be communicated. While intelligent, there was a limit to the amount of flight patterns a group of wild Wingull could commit to memory. Factoring in the risk of them conveying the wrong message in error, she kept it simple.
Tanya rose from the bench, walking briskly upon a predetermined path. Her boots splashed as she went through puddles; it had rained earlier today.
It wasn''t the first time she''d walked this route, having done mock trials in the run-up to today; that wasn''t a luxury she was used to.
That prep work ensured that her return to the alley where she''d stashed her supplies was uninterrupted. It sacrificed some directness, but that was well worth it.
The alley was deserted, as it had been all other times she''d visited it. She walked over to a discarded milk crate and flipped it, donning its contents in a practiced manner.
Now in all greys with a beanie covering her head and a scarf over her mouth, she felt suitably dressed. There had been the option to be uniformed and waiting in the alley at the start, but that involved loitering here for who knows how long, and she couldn''t guarantee no one would stumble on her.
"Mimikyu, are you ready?" She asked the doll who she''d stuffed under her shirt.
He buzzed, as they discussed, and she set off. Tanya pumped aura into herself and leaped onto the fire escape; quick steps up a ladder brought her to the roof. In the distance, she saw her target tower over the two-story building she was currently on top of. She broke out into a run, leaping from building to building. A block and a half was the distance she covered when she dropped back down to the street level.
A dash, and she was pressed up against the outer wall of the hotel. Next to her was a metal door, the service entrance.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for movement.
None was found; she patted Mimikyu twice. The Pokemon wiggled, and she watched as her shadow stretched to form a curtain around her.
Shadow Sneak was a surprisingly versatile move.
Two flashes of red, obscured from the observance of outsides, heralded the arrival of Carbink and Ralts.
Ralts lifted her arms, and Tanya cradled the Pokemon before hopping onto Carbink. Loosely gripping his ears, Tanya maintained a serious expression as she performed the required motions to get him to ascend.
She was very thankful for the shadow covering her because she looked damn ridiculous like this.
Slowly, they moved higher and higher. Carbink did not possess true flight. What he did have was the ability to travel along any solid surface. It was levitation, but being able to pick and choose what constituted the ''ground''.
The sound of music entered her ears and gradually grew louder as they passed window after window. The source was from the adults-only bar on the roof; she''d been aware of its presence and had planned around it.
She counted the windows they passed, and when they reached the twelfth, Ralts'' voice echoed in her mind.
''Gible.''
Tanya wasn''t sure if the Pokemon was reminding her of what Theo had informed them of or if she had actually sensed the Gible on the floor in question.
Either way, a rescue wasn''t on the menu. Not only did she have no obligation to interfere, but the legalities were such that any direct action taken by her would incur a loss on her end. She wasn''t keen on getting even more on the wrong side of the law, despite what her current actions might suggest. No, a simple letter mailed anonymously was still her plan. Part of her debated if even that was too much.
When all was said and done, she wasn''t a charity. Stopping and righting every perceived wrong you saw was a sucker''s game. Truly, the individual had a responsibility to themselves first and foremost.
Her second life had seen her steal food from the matrons in the orphanage and then enlist early to ''serve'' her country, all in the name of survival. She hadn''t waited around to be saved by a third party.
Life would be a lot simpler if everyone understood the principle of self-reliance. It really was a lesson she wished everyone was informed of.
Ralts stirred in her arms, sending her a feeling of affirmation. She must have taken Tanya''s lack of reaction as confirmation they weren''t moving on the Gible. That was good.
The rest of her team may take the news poorly, but she''d already prepared an appropriate speech to mollify them.
Carbink halted, leaving them level with a window.
Out of all the entry points she''d evaluated, this was her best shot.
Staff in the hotel had a dedicated staircase for their use; it spanned the entire height of the structure. Entering from the door at the bottom had been ruled out; there would be too many opportunities to run into members of staff on the way up.
That left here. The latch of the window was surrounded by a purple glow and shook before snapping up. Her hands gripped the glass and slid it up enough to shimmy her way inside. Another red flash indicated Carbink was back in the safety of his ball.
Now in the staircase, she closed the window behind her and saw the shadows once covering them revert to their normal shape. She was lucky to have spotted the cigaret smoke from afar one day during observation; if not, she would have never known these windows opened.
Ralts walked up to the door, placing a hand on it with closed eyes.
''Clear,'' she transmitted, much to Tanya''s relief.
Tanya''s hand gripped the handle and cautiously pushed it open. As Ralts had said, the hallway was empty. She scooped the Pokemon back up and moved.
Her boots glided lightly over the padded carpet, and her eyes swung from side to side. Soon she found room 135. Stopping in front of it, she looked to Ralts, who took a breath before her body was enveloped in a light blue glow. She disappeared, and soon the door swung open.
Teleportation was an absurd ability to possess. She didn''t envy anyone working security in this world.
Softly closing the door behind her, she inspected the suite. It had opened into a large living room area; a piano looked to have been pushed to a corner, and there was a plethora of sofas and other seating strewn about. Clothes littered the floor, and she could see several half-eaten dinner plates.
Her nose crinkled; there was a smell as well.
It resembled what she imagined a frat house would look like. He must have declined housekeeping service, which was understandable given his illicit profession. It meant one less complication to worry about, so she put her distaste aside.
Pacing to the far end, she came to a stop in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. It took up the entire wall and was fixed in place; otherwise, she wouldn''t have bothered with the service entrance.
She squinted, making out the formation of Wingulls maintaining a pattern over club Bravo.
All was going according to plan then.
Tanya reached for the small of her back. Tucked away there was a collapsed duffle bag. Wringing it out, she placed it in the center of the room. Anything pertinent would be deposited there.
She gave a nod to Ralts and paced to the bedroom. They would take it room by room, checking the formation every five minutes. In the worst-case scenario, they''d have ten minutes to vacate.
Plenty of time.
They worked separately to cover more ground. If time permitted, they''d go over each other''s areas.
It would have been nice to have more hands on deck, but Ralts was the only one she trusted to know what they were looking for.
The bedroom was in a worse state than the living room, and she tightened the scarf covering her nose. The action elicited a self-deprecating scoff; she really was going soft if this was enough to bother her.
A round bed in the center dominated the room, with dressers lining the walls. She didn''t see anything resembling a computer but was betting there was a laptop buried somewhere amongst the assorted expensive junk.
There were two other doors leading outward, one to a bathroom and another to a walk-in closet. She got the easy one out of the way first, giving the bathroom a quick look. There was nothing shocking contained within; it even had the expected abundance of hair products.
Next, she checked under the bed. Instant regret hit her, but she soldiered on, finding nothing of note. Wearing gloves proved to be one of her best decisions today. Shame they''d have to be burned.
She was beginning to check the nightstand when she paused, nearly smacking her forehead in realization.
Didn''t hotels have safes? What were the odds he was stupid enough to keep it in there?
Tanya aborted her search and entered the closet. It was wide enough for six people to stand shoulder to shoulder and even had a bench to rest on. Rows of hangers carrying expensive suits made up most of the clothes. Shoes were thrown about haphazardly on the floor. In a corner, she spotted an overburdened hat hanger.
She pushed aside the hangers until she found a metal safe. It was a meter tall and wide, sporting a turn wheel on its front.
Tanya stood in front of it, taken aback.
Mawile could easily tear it out of the wall and eat through the steel. But that was more overt than she wanted to be.
It might also be unnecessary. Her finger reached out, twisting the nob left and right until a satisfying click sounded and the heavy door lumbered open.
For a brief moment, she was struck with a wave of pity. It was directed towards an unlikely target, Lysandre himself. Maniac he might be, no one deserved to put up with such dimwitted underlings. Certainly, not ones who left post-it notes with the combination to the safe it was stuck to.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Maybe she was overreacting; it could be that nothing important was inside.
A metal briefcase met her eyes.
Well, there was no way that was unlocked as well. Right?
It clicked open without resistance.
Tanya sighed. How were these people her enemies? How had no one caught them?
Oh right, they had control of the communication network and any number of influential people in their pocket.
That depressing thought aside, she took stock of what she''d found. Chips of some kind, the gambling of sorts. They were ordered in a tray, and she lifted it out, setting it to the side. At the bottom, were several files.
She scanned them. One was a map of some sort? It had areas nearby circled and then crossed out. Were they searching for something? She filed that question away for later. A few more files had financial records for the Dubois family''s shipping company. She deemed those unimportant for her current objective and kept thumbing through the pages.
A letter made her pause; it was commending Louis on his contribution to the cause. The contribution itself was unsaid, but someone had seen fit to staple documents to it.
Pokeballs were not all they were dealing in then. There was a list of materials. Isolated, that was innocent enough, but it did leave one wondering where all that construction equipment ended up. Tanya could think of one big hole in the ground that they might have helped excavate and develop.
Taking out a small non-digital camera, she took pictures of everything of interest. Damning information? No. But it was another few grains of sand; gather enough, and she''d tip the scales.
Done with her documentation. She placed the tray back over the files when the chips caught her eye again.
Well, she''d already decided to liberate a few items from this place. A particular gaudy hat caught her eye. She rose, snatching it off the hanger and loading it with a few chips from each pile.
Not taking all of it would cause him to question whether or not someone was here at all. Her hand paused when moving to shut it. Taking into account the disorganization of everything, she took a few more before sealing it shut and locking the safe.
Carrying the filled hat back to the living room, she found Ralts placing a book in the bag. A glance at the window told her she was still fine, and Tanya curiously reached out for the book.
''Legends of Kalos.''
The cover read. Flipping it open was like peering into the mind of a madman. Crossed out sections and highlighted words. Bookmarks in nonsensical locations. It was a mess; she was about to ask why Ralts had taken it when she got to the last page.
''See the truth''
-Ly
That could have meant any number of things. Her initial impression, and the one she presumed Ralts had, was that this was a book signed and gifted by Lysandre. That was as good a reason as any to take it. It might give her more insight into the man she faced.
Hopefully, like the chips, he would not notice its disappearance. Her eyes roamed the suite; there were still more rooms to check, but the Wingulls remained constant.
She had time, and she was going to use it.
Tanya struggled to zip shut the duffel bag. There were a few more things they''d found buried in the apartment. Some, like USB sticks, she thought might be relevant to her objective. Others¡were for her troubles.
"We''re done here," she whispered. Rising to her full height and slinging the bag over her shoulder.
She stopped by the door, looking to see Ralts staring in an odd direction. With her gestures, the Pokemon came to her side and gave her the all-clear. She lifted the Pokemon again and pushed the door open, retracing her steps to the service entrance.
There was no warning. One second she was in the hallway, and the next she was falling through a pit.
Tanya rolled, coming to a stop at a crouch. A tilt of the head up, and she saw the hole she''d just come through; flames licked at its edge. In spite of originally being in a hallway, they now found themselves in another hotel room.
A cough got her attention, and she spotted a man in a suit hacking into his arm. His other arm waved in front of him to disperse the lingering smoke.
Crap. She couldn''t be spotted.
Without her intervention, a knife flew through the air and impacted his center forehead. She was about to curse when her ears registered the bonk. There was no blood; the knife had hit him hilt first.
"Good girl!" Tanya didn''t try to contain the pride in her voice. Ralts had acted decisively and within the rules of engagement. It was a marked improvement. She set the Pokemon down. "Get a Hypnosis on him."
She didn''t need him waking up and catching a good look at them.
"Ible," a tired voice made itself known.
Tanya closed her eyes for a moment.
Being X could kindly go fuck itself.
She opened them.
Gible was on the opposite side of the room they were in; it wobbled unsteadily on its feet. Tanya took a step, hearing a crunching beneath her foot. It was a shattered disc?
Several of them, in fact. They were in various states, and their identity came to the forefront of her mind: "Technical Machines."
Valuable tools to instantly teach Pokemon moves. Was he teaching Gible moves when something went wrong? That seemed likely, although doing so in a hotel room was the height of idiocy.
Regardless, she had now officially stepped in it. A decision had to be made.
Gible yawned, blinking sleepy eyes in her direction.
A high-pitched alarm blared to life; it must have been the fire alarm. An intact sprinkler sputtered to life, dumping rust-smelling water over her. Bits and pieces of debris contained in it rained over her.
''Mama?''
Ralts questioned, somehow having avoided the sprinkler.
Fuck it. Much like the warehouse, things were already screwed. Might as well see what she could get out of the wild pack of dragons. They had to have some reward in mind, right?
"Your family sent us." Tanya approached with measured steps. "We''re going to get you back to them, alright?"
It nodded before yawning again and falling asleep? Coming to a stop near the hatchling, she confirmed it was indeed sleeping.
She supposed that would make things easier. Looking around again, she searched for signs of his Pokeball. All she found were the shattered remains of one.
And of course she didn''t deign to bring one herself.
It wasn''t like she didn''t have spares either; she was just deadset on not getting involved.
Kicking herself mentally, she wrapped her arms around the slumbering Pokemon. He was about the size of Mawile and a decent bit heavier, still nothing she couldn''t manage.
The heat hadn''t stopped rising, and to her dismay, she noticed the fire spreading rapidly. The wind blew through the gaps of the shattered windows, feeding the flames. Some of the sprinklers must have been damaged as they grew unchecked. Already they had blocked off the entrance of the room.
''Keep?''
Ralts waddled up to her, a stack of TMs under her arm.
Tanya crouched low so the Pokemon could try her luck packing them in the bag while she thought of options.
A little fire didn''t scare her, but she couldn''t just leave this idiot here to die. Personally? She couldn''t care less what happened to him. However, eventually, questions will arise when getting her name cleared, and ''civilian left to die in fire'' didn''t sound great.
Hauling him to the staircase would almost definitely get her spotted. Probably by multiple people.
"Skar!"
The decision was taken out of her hands, as a cry came from the outside.
Flapping its metallic red wings, a Skarmory hovered outside the window, its yellow eyes trained on her through the thick smoke.
A trainer was on its back. Whatever they were saying was lost to the wind.
Tanya recalled Ralts; she might have been blown but didn''t think the small Pokemon had been spotted yet.
As inconvenient as having her involvement, masked or not, now be known. It did give her an easy option for getting out of this mess.
Tanya grabbed the man by the foot, dragging him toward the opening while holding Gible awkwardly with one arm. She made sure to make eye contact with the trainer, a young woman, before chucking the man out the window.
There was a sharp cry of surprise as the Skarmory reared back. She watched it long enough to ensure the man had been safely caught in its claws and then turned on her heel. Keeping her arms around Gible, she fell backward.
The feeling of weightlessness; the wind running through her.
Her chest beat with life.
She would always be a flight mage at heart.
Sadly, it was just that, and the ground grew ever closer.
"Anytime now," she muttered.
Jumping off the building had been a contingency they''d covered. She''d be cross if he''d forgotten. She felt Mimikyu coil around her and then a Shadow Claw burst from her sleeve, digging into the facade of the building. They jerked upward as their momentum bled off.
"Enough," she said after determining their velocity low enough.
The claw retracted, and Tanya twisted herself to land facing the street. Her boots slammed into the ground, and she bent her legs to compensate. Brick and plaster followed after her.
Tanya took in the surroundings and was distressed at the multitude of people staring at her.
The word ''disaster'' snaked its way into her mind.
There was no time to dwell, as there weren''t only people on the street, and that Blastoise did not look friendly.
She stepped back, leaving an illusion in her place with Double Team, and was proved correct when a torrent of water hit the spot she''d just been in.
Ignoring its trainer''s orders, who she presumed to be the man in a fireman''s outfit, another beam of water was launched her way.
Tanya''s legs pumped as she propelled herself out of the way and down the street, away from the violent Pokemon.
Stay and fight?
What a laugh; there was no point in that. She was getting the hell out of dodge.
Her feet pounded the pavement, eating up large swathes of ground. No more streams of water came her way, and she hoped its trainer had gotten it back on task in dealing with the fire.
She heard the sirens first and then saw the flashing lights reflected on the cars parked alongside the road.
Tanya dove to the side as a mass of black fur plowed through another illusion. She ducked into an alleyway, hoping to lose the Mightyena.
That proved fruitless, and it was soon, quite literally, nipping at her heels.
She took an arm off of Gible, palming a Pokeball.
A flash and her ultimate deterrent took the field.
"Mawil-" The Pokemon didn''t need instruction, and her jaw took a glint before hammering into the leaping dog. It flew backward, impacting the rider of a motorcycle who had just stopped at the mouth of the alley. "Yes, that."
She was prepared to recall the Pokemon when Tanya noticed the serious look in Mawile''s eye. It was the first time she''d seen such a stern look on the Pokemon, and Tanya combed the area for threats.
Was there something she wasn''t seeing?
The Mightyena was in a heap with its trainer, whom she realized was a police officer. The only other thing here was¡
"Wile," the Pokemon declared and ran forward.
Tanya followed a beat later.
"Dibs? What the hell do you mean, dibs?"
Mawile plopped herself on the seat, her tiny hands gripping the handlebars.
There was no chance she was allowing this.
Tanya got on, trying to wrestle the disobedient Pokemon off. Belatedly, she remembered she could just recall her.
She blamed it on the absurdity of the situation.
Red flashing lights shone on the rearview mirror, and Tanya could only clamp her thighs around the bike to prevent being thrown when it lurched forward.
Amazingly, they didn''t outright crash.
With Mawile in the front, Tanya sat behind her with a sleeping Gible sandwiched between them.
Many thoughts were running through her head right now. Chief among them was the hope that the pedal on their right was unimportant as neither of them were going to be able to reach it.
They swerved hard to the right, and Tanya was considering abandoning ship when she witnessed part of the street be bisected by a blade of wind.
That Skarmory was giving chase without its trainer, she noted. Going rogue or losing the extra weight to better maneuver? Probably the latter.
"Mimikyu, cover!" She ordered, and their shadow fluctuated before stretching above them. With their speed and erratic movement, Mimikyu struggled to maintain it.
Was it enough to obscure them from further Air Cutters? Well, she didn''t see any more fired off.
"Left," Tanya directed. "Get us out of this damn city!"
The roar of engines grew behind her, and she turned to see numerous officers in pursuit. The intensity of their lights increased, indicating they were gaining on them.
Crap.
What were a few more felonies at this rate?
She briefly brought a leg up and reversed her position on the bike, now facing behind them. She pressed her back hard against Gible, squeezing him against Mawile for safekeeping.
How in the world was he still sleeping?
Errant thought aside, she reached into her pocket. Taking aim, her hand flicked out.
Tanya cringed at her poor aim as instead of taking out the headlights, several of her kunai embedded themselves on tires, causing the vehicles to violently crash.
That¡had really not been her intention. Medical care was fairly advanced here. She was sure they''d be fine.
"Wa! Wa!" Her driver cheered, taking a sharp corner without slowing the slightest.
At least one of them was enjoying themselves.
The incapacitation of their colleagues did not dissuade them from their pursuit, and several Pokemon took form beside their bikes.
Most canine types, some equestrian.
All fast.
They raced through the city, block after block being left behind. Weaving through traffic, Mawile pushed the bike to its limits. All laws were promptly ignored as they blew past red lights and stop signs.
Even so, more flashing lights coalesced behind them. Gaining on them at a steady pace.
She still had more knives, but there wasn''t enough for all of them.
Was this it? How was she supposed to explain any of this? She didn''t have nearly enough evidence yet.
The swiftest Pokemon neared; she could see several begin the process of using a move.
It was time to surrender; she brought both arms into the air.
Something kicked her back leg. She turned to find Mawile pointing up, toward the moon.
Tanya honed in on it; its brightness made it difficult to make out, but she made out some shapes.
Oh.
That. Was a lot of birds.
There was a saying that a butterfly flapping its wings could set off a chain of events ending in a hurricane. So what happened when a hundred or so seagulls on steroids all flapped their wings?
She didn''t know the answer, as for her pursuers... what pursuers?
Like a broom had been swept across the street, it had been wiped clean.
That wasn''t completely accurate; some of the Pokemon had withstood the gale. But that didn''t matter when their first reaction was to find their trainer, who''d been picked up and thrown like a child''s toy.
None of that was her responsibility. The flock was meant to only provide intel, she''d never told them to go ahead and assault police officers.
The ride got noticeably bumpy, signaling to Tanya that they were now on the road connecting both parts of the city.
A horrible metallic screech cut through the air, startling her. Tanya watched as the Wingulls and Pelipper dispersed.
Skarmory was in the night sky; from the way it acted, she surmised some of the flock had attacked it. They must have lost their nerve when it released a proper battle cry.
It swooped toward them. This Pokemon was getting on her nerves.
Mawile banked hard to the right, avoiding the grasping claws. There was another turn up ahead, this one near ninety degrees. Again, there was no slowing down, and Tanya''s knee scrapped the gravel before Mawile brought them back upright.
Was that a drift? She was torn between fearing for her life and being in awe of the competent display of steering.
Did Xerosic teach his Pokemon how to pilot vehicles? He was a tad obsessive; she couldn''t rule it out.
Tanya frantically tried to locate the giant metal bird, having lost it for a moment. She found it again, far ahead, and stopped in the middle of the road with its wingspan fully outstretched.
The road was narrow enough now that they were fully blocked off.
"Go around!" Tanya urged, switching back to facing the front and shaking Mawile''s shoulder.
"Maw."
That was a good point; it had rained earlier, and off-road was liable to be pure mud. They''d get stuck in no time.
"Then slow down, and we''ll fight it off normally."
She''d noticed Mawile already stacked Stock Piles. If her opponent was dumb enough to give up the flight advantage, she''d be happy to ground them for good.
"Wile¡" The Pokemon turned to her with an awkward grin.
This had to be a joke.
"You started driving, and you don''t even know where the damn brakes are!"
Was that more impressive or less? She couldn''t decide.
Didn''t have time to either, as she hastily erected a Protect as they rammed head-first into the avian Pokemon.
It saved them from being crushed against the solid steel wall, but they did bounce off at an angle and end up being tossed across the road. She released Carbink on instinct, not knowing where he or the others ended up.
Tanya shook her head, trying to regain her bearings and decide how to tackle this thing. When her sight cleared up, she blinked to make sure she wasn''t seeing things.
"Ma, ma!" Mawile was on her feet, doing a twirl. She pointed a finger gun at the Skarmory. As her thumb went down, Tanya noticed Carbink had been secured in Mawile''s jaw. "WILE!"
Fairy cannon???
A flash of light, followed by a boom, and finally a cry of pain as Carbink hammered into the Pokemon.
The cry was not from Carbink; no, that would be from the Skarmory who was blasted back, ragdolling across the road.
As the dust settled, she spotted the Gible. It was on its side, foot kicking in its sleep.
"Bin! Bin?" Carbink floated toward them, evidently no worse for wear.
"He''s fine," Tanya responded while walking over and picking up the Gible. "Just a heavy sleeper."
"Wile?" The Pokemon asked leadingly, rocking from her heels and toes with her arms held behind her back.
Tanya released a breath of frustration. Screw it, she''d count it.
"Yes, excellent teamwork, you two."
What had her life turned into?
Chapter 22
Phil woke with a groan, clutching his head.
What the hell had hit him?
He tried to get up only to have something press down on him. Blinking, he caught sight of a familiar hue of pink before being blinded by a light.
"Please relax, Officer Phillip; take a deep breath for me, okay?" The voice was odd, gentle, but commanding. He followed it without a second though, inhaling deeply.
Butterscotch.
He held it in, not wanting to let it go.
"Release Officer Phillip. Breathe normally, please."
There was a moment of hesitation before he acquiesced. It proved to be the correct choice, as he allowed himself to experience the fragrance again
The small flashlight was turned off, and slowly he regained his vision. Pink curls and lightly tanned skin. Compassionate azure eyes bore into his soul. There was a thin sheen of sweat on her brow; it only made her radiate even more.
"Do you know where you are?"
It took a second to process those words, and he didn''t think it was because of any supposed injury.
Heaven.
A melodic giggle brought him out of his stupor, and suddenly he was aware of his surroundings. More importantly, he was aware of what he''d just said out loud¡
He was betting he could pass as a fire type right about now if the heat in his cheeks was any indication.
If that wasn''t all enough, a beeping from his side told everyone exactly how fast his heart was pumping.
The angel nurse quieted the machine by pressing a button on a remote, and he launched into a campaign aimed at salvaging whatever was left of his reputation.
"Pokemon center. Coumarine city. Diantha is the current champion, and Ramos is our city''s gym leader." He rattled off the date and other bits of information to show he was competent. After finishing, he took a gulp, feeling oddly parched. A cup of water was placed into his hand, and he drank it gratefully. "Thank you, Ma''am."
A fingertip graced his nose, and he was certain if the machine had not been put to sleep, it would have registered a missing beat.
"Silly goose, just call me Nurse Joy. " She leaned in and whispered; the smell of butterscotch intensified. "Or Mel."
First name!?!?!?
She stood straight again, smoothing out her apron.
"But that''s right. You were in a crash. Looks like you should be fine, but we''ll keep you for the night to be sure. We''re very busy right now so I have to go, but press the red button on this remote and I''ll be over in a jiffy. Do you understand?"
He nodded dumbly at the very pretty nurse and took the remote, accidentally brushing up against her smooth skin and dropping it. That turned out to be the best decision of the night, as she held his hand while placing the device into his grasp and closing his fingers around it.
She gave him one last smile, and he tried to work up the courage to say something, anything, to keep her around for a second longer. He failed and could only watch her retreating form. Which was not a bad consolation prize.
A wad of paper hit him, causing him to slowly turn. Right, he wasn''t alone. There were three of them squeezed into this small hospital room.
"Get your jaw off the floor, rookie." In a bed to his right, his colleague Officer Benny mocked him with a smile. "What''s the matter, first time seeing a Joy?"
No, that family was ubiquitous in the health industry. He''d just never talked with one directly. Were they all like that?
"Lay off him," a voice from his left said. He turned to find Officer Yvvone in a similar bed. "But Benny is right, wipe that dumb look off your face before Jenny comes." She sat up in her bed, looking around warily before speaking in a hushed tone. "You didn''t hear it from me, but they have a weird rivalry going on. Like, it''s all smiles on the surface, but their eyes?" She shivered. "Whatever it is, you don''t want to get into the middle of it."
Phil''s first thought was that he very much wanted to get in the middle of it. It must have shown on his face as Yvonne''s face twisted and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Men. End up in a hospital after a chase gone wrong, and this is what you''re thinking of."
Chase? Memories came flooding back. He was at a pastry shop when he''d gotten the message from dispatch. An officer and his partner were down, and an unknown assistant was fleeing due south on 3rd Street.
Second week on the job or not, he''d hopped on his bike and joined the pursuit.
"Oh, please, like you''d be any different if you woke up to Grant." Benny shot back and then addressed him again. "Before she plants any ideas in your head, tell us what you think you saw. Then we can compare notes."
Right, they''d talked about this in the academy. The terms for everything escaped him right now, but he knew the best practice was to independently give your report before hearing any others. Studies showed that respondents were likely to reinforce existing stories even if they had conflicting experiences. Normally, someone would have come to debrief him right after waking up, but there must be a backlog.
Which was ominous.
His eyes searched around, and he found a small table by his bed with another plastic cup filled with water. He replaced his empty one with it and drank it greedily.
Setting it down, he pulled on his mind before the events became foggy. Closing his eyes, he imagined the scene again, what he smelled, what he felt. It was another technique they taught them to better recall events.
"I was at Donny''s when I got the call," he began, only to be promptly interrupted.
"Donuts? Seriously man?" Benny said in an exasperated tone. "Please leave that out of your report; we don''t need that on public record."
"Cool it, they don''t just sell donuts," Yvonne cut in. He cringed, as while she was correct, donuts had been what was on the menu. "Just continue. Ignore that idiot."
He refocused on the night, choosing not to mention how, in the rush, he''d dropped his powered lemon donut while heading to his bike. And definitely not mentioning how he picked it up afterward and shoved it in his mouth.
Fuck, was his bodycam recording? He''d need to delete that footage¡
Kicking the thought to the side, he began speaking again.
"I got to my bike and took 8th." There was a scoff from someone, and he suspected he''d be made to memorize the city grid again. "I pulled up alongside Jenkins, I think, halfway down. When we were crossing 2nd." It was difficult to tell who everyone was when wearing their helmets. Not that he''d ever complain about them after today. "We tried to cut them off before they passed the old dance parlor, but the driver took a crazy turn. I thought they were for sure going to crash into a light pole."
Rookie or not, he''d aced his defense driving test. Even Jenny sang his praises. But he would never have dared to take a turn at that speed; that was just asking to become an organ donor.
"Did you get a good look at the driver? Or the passenger, for that matter?"
Phil froze, the image coming to the forefront of his mind unbidden. He didn''t move a muscle, forgetting it was just a memory.
Opening his eyes, he tried to drink more water. It was empty.
"The driver was small?" It had been dark, and they were moving fast. "Tan maybe? Like they were wearing a small jumpsuit. It was hard to see them, almost like¡"
He trailed off, not wanting to say something foolish.
"Like the shadows were dancing around them." Benny finished his thought and then spoke louder to preempt Yvonne''s chastisement. "I know, I''m contracting my own advice. But he was already going to say it. Everyone else saw the same thing. Moving, undulating, slithering¡ªwe''ve heard it all. I''m telling you though, they were dancing."
Phil found himself nodding; that was an apt description.
"The passenger," Yvonne said unhappily. Getting them back on track. "Did you see the passenger?"
A cold feeling, like death itself, was embracing you.
"Oi! Rookie! You okay?"
Something soft hit his face; it was Benny''s pillow. He breathed, being disappointed by the lack of butterscotch.
Distantly he was aware of the heart monitor he was attached to going nuts again, for a wholly different reason this time.
A nurse might have come in, not his nurse, but he was too out of it to focus. Slowly, he got himself back under control.
He was a proud police officer, damnit! A defender of the peace! At one point someone had refilled his cup, and he made quick work of it.
"Blue," he said, placing it down. "Blue eyes. That''s all I saw."
It felt a wholly inadequate way to describe them, but objectively, that was all they were. At least, that''s what he kept telling himself. Repeating it like a mantra in his head.
"Damn," Yvonne spat. "I was hoping you saw something more."
He did not share that sentiment.
They fell into silence, and he realized that, as much as he didn''t want to, he needed to finish his recant.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
"After we joined the pack, I kept pace but decided to hold off on calling out Electrike. He''s a sprinter; I wanted to wait until we go closer before brining him out."
It was a reasonable argument, but it wasn''t the truth. Something in his gut had told him to leave his partner safe in his ball. Whether it was Arceus'' voice or a random delusion, it had been the right call.
"I''m not sure what happened after. I saw them raise their hands?" He said it as a question and saw Benny giving him an intense look. "Then the next second I''m flying through the air. It''s all black after that."
Then he''d woken up here.
"Nothing new," Benny commented with a frustrated groan. "Well, your jackass got a little lucky. I had fucking ninja stars thrown at me."
Phil had heard the report of more officers down while getting to the scene, but he hadn''t known how it was accomplished.
He found it difficult to believe they''d run into an actual ninja.
"He''s right," Yvonne confirmed. "We recovered them from the scene. The lab geeks will be going over them with a fine-toothed comb. But my buddy there already told me it''s not looking good. They were cleaned professionally."
He asked the question on everyone''s mind.
"Okay, what actually was that? I know you said ninja, but do we even have those here?"
Other regions sure, but Kalos? He''d never heard of them.
"We do. They''re somewhere out East." Benny informed. "Greninja are a favorite of theirs, so in this officer''s humble opinion." Phil doubted the humble part. "A Greninja handled the actual theft, while the wheelman was their trainer. The colors were off, but it might have been a Shiny or a regional variant. Hell, maybe it just painted itself."
That was not a Greninja.
"It was a Mawile driving," Yvonne disagreed. "I''m sure of it. I got a good look before taking a flight."
A Pokemon driving? Sure it wasn''t unheard of but¡
"Mawile are what, like two feet tall? Can it even drive like that?"
It had been a while since he''d taken his trainer exam but he was pretty sure he studied that. Not that it ended up being on the damn test.
"Excellent point, rookie. See? No way that was a Mawile. That was a professional, someone who spent years training. I swear I''ve never seen such smooth driving. Trying to keep up with them was nearly impossible."
From what little he saw, that was very much correct.
"We''ll let upstairs decide that." Yvonne conceded. "Maybe it was a trainer in a Mawile costume or something ridiculous like that. Greninja might fit, given what bystanders saw." He looked at her with confusion, and she elaborated. "Right, so to fill you in. We got a call for a fire at the Meurice. A newly minted Ace trainer happened to be at the rooftop bar that night; she was searching for people needing rescue with her flying type when something." She stressed the word. "Threw some rich twat out a window. Whatever it was, then just stepped off the ledge like no big deal. Some lookie-loos were filming the fire and actually caught it on camera. Fell like ten stories before deciding to carve up the side of the building."
"Which was clearly night slash," Benny butted in, reinforcing his theory. "Which is insanely hard to teach a Greninja."
Phil didn''t even know they learned it. But there was a reason he didn''t go pro.
"Yeah, well, it lands, and the fireman''s Blastoise gets spooked and sprays the damn thing."
There was a snort from Benny.
"Leave it to a fireman not to be able to control their Pokemon."
If it saw the same eyes Phil did, he didn''t blame Blastoise in the least.
"Things get hairy here. Some people swear the Hydro Pump hit them. Others don''t. Apparently, our novice filmmakers didn''t get that part." Phil hoped they had the good sense to run. "Anyway, what we do know for sure is that they had a Gible of all things."
That wasn''t a common Pokemon. Wait. She''d used the word theft before. Was this all for a Pokemon theft!?!?!?
"What type of ninja goes around starting fires and stealing Pokemon?" It made no sense to him. "And when you say ''had a Gible'', like they were carrying it?"
Yvonne gave a sound of understanding.
"They were holding it like a football. I agree that it doesn''t add up. If the Gible was the goal, why not have a ball ready for them? With what we saw them pull off, I find it hard to believe they couldn''t get their hands on unregistered balls or old-school Apricorn types."
Unless the Gible wasn''t the point. Benny had described the shadows as dancing, and Phil thought he was closer to the mark than he knew.
"Was anything else stolen?" He asked, needing more information. "Or just anything in general you''ve left out."
Yvonne let out a small laugh; it wasn''t out of good humor.
"They''re still taking an inventory and statements at the scene. The fire is going to make things take longer." It might have been to cover their tracks then, but that still didn''t seem right. "What I''m surprised you haven''t asked is how we all ended up here."
Huh? Motorcycle crash; he knew that. The thing lifted its arms and then¡
What had happened?
"Short answer, we don''t know." Yvonne continued. "It''s one of the things everyone keeps saying different things about. That idiot over there thinks it was Tornadus." She pointed at Benny. "And then someone down the hall was ranting about it being an Enamorus, never mind the fact that''s a fairy tale." Enamorus, why did that feel so right and yet so wrong? "And somehow, the craziest and most supported theory is that just about every damn Wingull in the city showed up and gave a big fuck you to the Coumarine police department."
What?
Wingulls? Sure, the city had a lot of them, but all they really ever did was try and steal his donuts.
"And you call me an idiot." Benny shared his thoughts. "What''s more likely, a legendary showing up at just the right time or a hoard of Wingulls working for some random ninja?"
He found himself agreeing with the legendary theory. He''d seen a pair of Wingulls get into a fight over a pretzel once; there was no chance they would all work together.
Their cameras must have caught something; they all wore them. Then again, they were probably all pointed toward the road.
"Say what you want, but we have multiple accounts of increased bird activity across the city. And then that Skarmory in the intensive care unit had some damage that could have come from that line of Pokemon."
"Skarmory?" There weren''t a lot of flying types in the department, and he thought he''d remember that type of Pokemon. "We have one of those?"
Benny shook his head.
"Nah, that was from the Ace we talked about. After rescuing the thrown victim, she dismounted and had it pursue the suspect while she helped with the evacuation." Technically, a formal request from the department would have had to be made for that to be legal, but no one tended to question when an Ace lent a helping hand. "It caught up with them right after they stole O''Brian''s bike." So that''s who''d been their first casualty; he hoped the man was okay. Sensing his question, Benny expounded. "He''s fine. The unlucky bastard had just pulled up to an alley where his partner, Mighteyena, was cornering the suspect when the poor pooch was flung back. Took him straight off the bike."
He''d seen that Mighteyena; it wasn''t a pushover.
"Are we sure they were actually fleeing then?"
It stunk to him. Why take the bike? Wouldn''t disappearing in the city be easier? Unless the bike was the goal the entire time.
"All we''re sure of is that we got our asses handed to us, and Jenny is going to put us through our paces," Yvonne said, much to his dread. "The saving grace is that Skarmory also got its ass kicked. After we all got blown away, it caught up to the suspects; not sure what happened, but it was later recovered with a massive dent in its chest and out cold."
Denting a Skarmory? That was possible?
"Hurray for us," Benny said in false cheer. "Well, both of you shut up now. I''m going to try and get some sleep before all of that remedial training."
The man clicked something, and the lights inside dimmed; the effect was dampened by the door remaining open.
Phil could do anything but sleep, his mind racing.
Realization hit him like a thunderbolt. Which, given his partner, was a known feeling.
All the pieces fell into place. This was a performance, a show.
The question was, who was the audience?
Him? Certainly not. This was far above his pay grade. He was lucky he''d come out of it unscathed.
Well, physically. A sinking feeling inside told him that his future would have sleepless nights aplenty.
Those eyes. It wasn''t a Pokemon at all. Or a human, for that matter; no, that was something else.
He rubbed his hands together, feeling cold all of a sudden.
A familiar blur of pink raced by the door; he caught only a glimpse, but his nose was filled with butterscotch again.
A not-so-insignificant part of his brain told him this was all worth it.
Chapter 23
"Where are we going? This is kind of far for a Pokemon battle."
Tanya considered her unwitting captive''s question. It wasn''t difficult, given she''d been asking it herself repeatedly since the night''s activities kicked off.
Things had gone to hell quickly and only seemed to deteriorate as the night continued. After incpacitating the Skarmory, they''d limped into the outer part of the city with the bike.
Emphasis on limped, as the bike did not come out of the collision unscathed and gave out shortly after. She would have preferred for it to last longer, but given it was most likely being tracked, she wasn''t too upset.
Getting past the quieter part of the city wasn''t difficult for someone who''d already visited several times in the past week, and she breathed a sigh of relief the second she stepped into the forest section of Route 13.
She''d jumped the gun.
"My brother''s going to wonder where I went¡"
Tanya couldn''t decide if that was a threat or a statement of fact, but it wouldn''t change anything.
"Keep walking; we''re almost there."
Tonight had been a disaster, the only mitigating factor being that it would be difficult to identify her.
Or at least, it would have if someone had minded their own damn business.
Marie hadn''t been idle the past couple of weeks and had apparently poked around enough to know the general vicinity of her camps. Tanya suspected she tracked the deforestation or had her brother assist in part of the search.
What was galling was that she hadn''t even found the campsite; she''d just gotten close enough to stumble into Tanya.
A Tanya she recognized despite still wearing her infiltration gear and, more importantly, one carrying a recently stolen Gible.
The saving grace was that news of her exploits hadn''t spread that quickly, so other than being confused about her state of dress and cargo, she hadn''t questioned when Tanya claimed there was a good area for a battle up ahead.
It was clear Tanya had underestimated the tenacity of the girl. Though tenacity was a generous word to use, she could have easily substituted stupidity or stubbornness for it.
Tanya couldn''t rightfully put the full blame on the girl. After all, she was the idiot who had gotten herself spotted. Not to mention the stupid culture of this world that dictated all conflicts to be resolved by Pokemon battles.
What kind of logic was that?
If someone gave you a fake number and then made no effort to reach out, it would be natural to assume they wanted nothing to do with you. Why would you then track them down and demand a Pokemon battle?
How was that supposed to solve anything? They wouldn''t magically like you now that you either (A) beat them or (B) lost to them.
They hardly knew each other!
Had Tanya not been dealing with her current issues, her first step would have been to file a restraining order. Unfortunately, she predicted it would be a while before she could walk into a police precinct.
"Maybe we should turn back; traveling the route at night is a bad idea. Especially with all of the alerts that have gone off this past week. We might run into something dangerous."
She was counting on that last bit.
They made it about twenty meters in cherished silence before Marie followed up.
"We''re not having a battle, are we?" Whether just now realizing it or deciding to voice a long-since reached conclusion, Marie asked the obvious. "Can you tell me what''s going on now?"
She could very well explain, but today had taken a mental toll, and she thought it was easier for her actions to do the talking.
"It''s not much further," Tanya replied. "You''ll understand soon enough."
Returning the Gible was one thing; deciding what to do with her witness afterward was more complicated.
In the spur of the moment, detaining the girl was the most obvious course. They weren''t too far from the city, and she couldn''t have Marie running back and alerting the authorities as to where she was.
The girl really shouldn''t have been out here in the first place. Accidents must have happened all the time.
Didn''t they?
Slowly but surely, the grass and trees gave way to clay and rock. Without the use of aura to grant her night vision, she couldn''t see the arid expanse before them.
She knew it was the same all, having done her research.
The Lumiose Badlands, a massive plane of rugged terrain featuring numerous plateaus. There was no ''official'' path through it on account of the native life deciding to redecorate every now and then.
Tanya was not looking forward to trekking through it, but the other options would be to either backtrack to Shalour City via Route 12 or cut through the untamed wilderness to reach Route 14. Neither of those sounded appealing to her.
Her package squirmed, struggling to get out of her arms. When that failed, it opened its large mouth and gave a piercing wail.
"IBLE!"
Tanya dropped the thing, backing up. She looked to her protection, only to find Mawile still sulking.
"Focus," She''d been like that ever since they left it. "It wasn''t even your bike."
"Maw¡" The Pokemon held her hands behind her back, looking at the ground. Her eyes traced up to Tanya, and she tilted her head. "Wile?"
How did we get from coats to this?
"No, maybe next time you wont break-" Tanya stopped herself cold, shaking the ridiculous off of her. "We''re not taking another."
She released Carbink and Ralts. They''d been stored away for a smoother travel experience.
Disapproval wafted off of Ralts as the diminutive Pokemon stared at the crying Gible.
"Should I call Bonsly?" Marie asked with a tinge of worry.
Truth be told, the girl was handling this all better than she expected. But that may be because she had very little idea of what was actually going on.
"You may," she responded dismissively. It wasn''t like the bonsai tree impersonator would make any difference.
Tanya kept half an eye on the girl and her Pokemon while inspecting the desert. They''d never agreed upon a meetup location; the pack would find her.
She was preparing to advance into the rough terrain when Ralts shifted.
''Nine O''clock.''
Ralts deserved a reward after tonight. She''d performed excellently during their search and displayed good judgment when things went sideways. The latter was an invaluable skill.
Tanya tensed, ready to contend with a hostile wild Pokemon. That readiness waned when she saw the fins rise through the red clay. It was disturbing to see how quickly they managed to move through the earth.
"What are-"
Marie''s words died in a gulp as one by one the members of the pack rose out of the ground.
Clumps of dirt clung to their hides, and they gave muted growls as they inspected the surroundings.
Perhaps she missed it the first time, but she noticed how members of the pack shifted their snouts in different directions.
Were they splitting vectors to focus on?
Was it intentional or accidental?
She cut off the line of thought as one of the Garchomps, not the matriarch, stepped forward.
The Gible ran towards it. Tanya watched as the Garchomp rested two forelimbs on the ground and lowered its head.
With its tiny arms outstretched and tears in its eyes, Gible looked ready to embrace what Tanya deduced was its mother.
"CHOMPPPPPPPPP!" A roar knocked the hatchling back, causing it to roll in a ball. Garchomp was on it soon, stamping a foot next to it and continuing her tirade. "Gar! Gar! Chomp!"
Tanya found the scene oddly relatable.
The Gible blinked rapidly, forcing the tears out of its eyes. The sniffles stopped, and it took a deep breath.
"IBLEEEE!"
It roared back in kind, though it was almost comical given the difference between them.
"Garrrrr." The Garchomp rumbled, rubbing the hatchling''s head and drawing it in close.
There was a tug on her pants leg, and the familiar action caused Tanya to instinctively begin stroking the green hair.
"Aweeeeeee." The girl''s cooing grew strained as heads snapped in her direction. Marie took a step back, with Bonsly hiding behind the trainer they were meant to defend.
Tanya waited with bated breath to see how the pack would react. To her disappointment, the matriarch snorted, and the rest of the pack promptly lost interest in the girl.
Nature running its course might have made things simpler, but she supposed it would be too coincidental if a local was harmed by Garchomps around the same time as one was stolen.
Although they were roughly the same height. Would it be possible to frame it as Marie being responsible for the theft?
She cast the thought aside; there were too many holes in that story.
The pack crowded the rescued Pokemon, sniffing, licking, and nudging their errant member.
"Bin?" Carbink asked, and Tanya gave a gesture indicating assent. "Car!"
He joined the huddle, being promptly latched onto by one of the Gabites.
"They''re so cute," Marie said in a low voice, learning from the outburst before. "But, uh, shouldn''t we be going? Garchomp aren''t known for being friendly." She paused, shifting her head between the pack and her. She continued with widened eyes. "The alerts must have been about Garchomp! They were looking for their baby."
She was only just now piecing that together? Those warnings must have been vague.
Ralts pressed into her hand. If the Pokemon had more experience, maybe she would have been able to remove all memories associated with Tanya. That would have been an elegant solution compared to what she was leaning toward.
''Hero Mama.''
What nonsense was Ralts badgering her with?
"You rescued Gible!" Marie gave a muted, if excited, shout.
Oh. Cogs began to turn in Tanya''s head.
She was no stranger to spinning things, having done it in both her previous worlds.
And now, through dubious circumstances, she realized her actions could be viewed in a humanitarian light. Or was it environmentalism? Either way, these were strange times.
None of that meant she was averse to twisting the narrative to her advantage.
As she was thinking, Marie''s face morphed into a frown.
"But how did you even know?"
Right, it wasn''t normal for people to be able to discuss with Pokemon. Gurkinn had the ability, but he didn''t strike her as normal, and she had enough self-awareness to know normal might not apply to her either.
''Mama Fairy.''
That bit of slander aside, Tanya was reminded she had the perfect explanation at hand. She wasn''t ready to commit yet, but it was worth exploring to see if it would work in the first place.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
She took a moment to cement her story internally before opening her mouth.
"Carbink ran into a Gabite, and then Ralts here translated." She paused, shifting her tone to a higher pitch. "I couldn''t just sit by and do nothing." That was true; she''d actively tried to avoid getting involved. "But then I found out his new owner was abusive." There was zero proof that was the case, but she''d saved his life. The least he could do was allow himself to get thrown under a figurative bus. "And I had to act."
This next part was dicey; there was little way to dress it up.
"I stole him." She didn''t even have to fake the sound of regret in her tone. "Things didn''t go as." She was about to say planned but that would imply the crime was premeditated. "Things got out of hand, and there was a fire. While I managed to get Gible to safety, there was a mix-up with the police. They ended up chasing me, and I think some of them got hurt." She was fairly certain about that. "But I had to get Gible back to its family."
She finished with wide but determined eyes, her hands curled into fists. Did she go over the top or not far enough? Should she have thrown some tears in the mix?
"I¡" Marie trailed off, and Tanya increased the force with which she patted Ralts'' head. "Totally get it!"
Tanya blinked, looking to Ralts, who sent her a feeling of admiration.
Did that mean the girl genuinely believed her?
Crap, now she had to actually think through it.
Her head buzzed with activity, and she imagined a future.
A future where Team Flare had successfully been exposed and subsequently dismantled. People would start digging into their history, going through records like personal files. That Admin would become a known quantity, and it took just one person to link her to him. Then loads of uncomfortable questions will arise.
Which meant she needed to have a defense the public could get behind. Returning a Pokemon to its family, even if it wasn''t necessarily legal, was the type of feel-good story those suckers would eat up and then ask for seconds of.
Laying the groundwork for that now seemed prudent. When it finally came to light, someone to corroborate her good deed wouldn''t be amiss.
It was still a risk, and one she wasn''t thrilled about having to stomach. Not satisfied, she approached it from the angle of a worst-case scenario.
If the girl disappeared, then Tanya could potentially be held liable. That type of criminal charge would be enough to brand her an outlaw for life, making this whole endeavor moot. There was a low chance of it happening, but that''s why this was a thought experiment.
On the other end, letting her go could result in Team Flare learning of her continued existence. It would be sacrificing the element of surprise, but that was due to expire eventually anyway.
Yes, if she looked at it that way, then letting the girl go was the logical solution.
"Is something wrong?" Unaware her life had just been spared, Marie asked with a tilt of her head. "You look like you ate something bad."
Tanya wiped the look off her face and forced a smile.
"Nothing; I''m just happy you understand."
There was no time for follow-ups as the matriarch lumbered forward with heavy steps.
Tanya stood still, not wanting to spook her. Dragons might be assholes, but they were straightforward about it. They wouldn''t randomly attack their benefactor.
Right?
She looked to her shield, who was happily chatting with a Gabite, and then her hammer, who was drawing circles in the dirt.
Mimikyu''s weight in her arms shifted the slightest amount, enough to be natural while telling her he was still there. At the same time, Ralts patted her knife holster. The knife itself didn''t move, and she took that as a positive sign.
Garchomp loomed over her, releasing a breath of hot air through her snout that caused Tanya''s beanie to fly off.
The dragon lowered its head until it was level with Tanya''s eyes. She held the stare.
Was this some sort of dominance display? Was Tanya meant to blink or not?
Why couldn''t Garchomp just use her words? What was the point of them otherwise?
A scene flashed in her mind, and it took great restraint not to glance at Ralts.
When did she learn how to do that? In any case, she knew what to do now.
Tanya leaned forward, angling her chin down. The action was mirrored by the dragon, and skin meant scale.
She wasn''t sure how long they''d held that position when the dragon arched back, approval in her eyes.
This had better be the lead-up to one hell of a reward.
"Gar, Chomp."
Compliments were nice, but she wasn''t bought that easily.
"I gave you my word." That she hadn''t intended to follow through on. "I''m just happy we can have this reunion; things could have ended very differently."
It occurred to her that she might want to be more forthcoming about her expectations considering her audience.
Sadly, both of them were interrupted by a party that was meant to be on her side.
"Carb, Bink!"
He wasn''t wrong; she just wasn''t planning on mentioning that part.
Garchomp looked at Carbink with confusion before moving back to Tanya.
Denial was easy, but they had helped. It would be wrong to not grant them credit.
"That''s right, thanks for reminding me, Carbink." She would thank him personally later. "I did have aid from a flock in the city. Their matriarch sends her regards."
That earned a bout of mutterings and general sounds of disbelief.
A whack of the matriarch''s tail silenced them.
"Gar, chomp." She acknowledged the large bills as she called them and then gestured with her right fin. "Omp."
A Gabite dragged a burlap sack forward, and Tanya''s eyes lit up. It dragged across the ground, clearly heavily laden.
Weren''t there stories of dragons hoarding wealth? Was she about to be stupidly wealthy?
The Gabite stopped in front of her, and she realized she was well familiar with it.
She couldn''t claim to remember all of her opponents, but putting a dragon in a chokehold was a memorable experience.
It heaved the bag and landed in between them, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
Tanya''s heart beat with anticipation. Unlike what she had in the duffle bag, this would probably be ''clean'' loot.
"Chomp." There was more? "Garch."
The Gabite huffed, crossing her arms and looking toward the side.
A guide through the badlands would be welcome, but could she pick a different one?
"Chompppp," She roared to the heavens, and Tanya took that as a ''no''. The rest of the pack joined in the protracted roar, causing the very ground to tremble.
Forelimbs, tails, and feet stamped on the ground. It was somewhat like what they''d done for the ''duel'', except this was lighter? More upbeat.
''Celebration,'' Ralts dutifully informed her. ''Family.''
It occurred to her that it was awfully warm right now; it must have been the lingering heat from Garchomp.
"Wow,'' Marie found her voice. "They''re dancing?"
They were; it was a primitive display.
"Car!" Carbink floated over, having been freed. He bumped into Mawile, urging her. "Bin, Bink!"
The despondent Pokemon looked to Tanya, who shrugged in response. If they wanted to join in, that was their prerogative.
Carbink managed to convince the Pokemon, and they trudged their way to the center.
"Garch," In contrast to her words, Garchomp looked at the group fondly. "Omp."
Tanya found herself agreeing.
"They are difficult to deal with, but I''m stuck with them."
Why did she put early termination fees in their contract? She had no idea what she had been thinking.
The matriarch gave her a long look before stretching and lying down. In mere moments, the creature was slumbering without a care.
It was far too trusting.
"Ummmm," Marie whispered, reminding Tanya of her presence. "I really, really want to see this. But I do need to get home. Can you walk me back?"
Tanya did need to have more words with the girl, so that would be a decent time to do it. Though she would not take her all the way.
She was going to call back Mawile and Carbink when she decided to give them a few more minutes.
It seemed the atmosphere was enough to get Mawile out of her funk, and she was now enjoying herself. That wouldn''t stop the ass-chewing Tanya would deliver tomorrow, but for now, she let the Pokemon have some fun on account of her good mood.
It really would only be a few though, as Mawile''s skill in dancing was comparable to her taste in fashion.
That is to say, she had none and was randomly flailing about.
Tanya knelt down by the cause of her amicable demeanor. It was a bit rude to open a present in front of the host, but the matriarch was sleeping, and Tanya had worked hard for it.
Any number of potential treasures were imagined as her hands gripped the lid.
Precious metals, jewels, evolution stones? All would be acceptable.
At some point during the prior events, a genuine smile had found its way onto her face.
Prying the sack open, that smile froze.
She closed it and then opened it again, willing the universe to change reality.
Her attempts failed, and she was left with a bag filled to the brim with the equivalent of dandruff.
What the hell was she supposed to do with pounds of molted scales?
She''d been duped. Scammed.
How many of the overgrown lizards were there? Ten or so?
Tanya went for her knife, considering how many of them she could carve up before making a hasty retreat.
''Together?''
Obviously, she wasn''t going to take them alone. In fact, Mawile''s ''dancing'' had already stealthily knocked two of the Gabites out.
With their strongest asset sleeping, now was the time to strike.
"Hello?" Marie inquired after not receiving a response. "Is that a no?"
Tanya released a breath. Gutting a bunch of landfish probably wouldn''t look good.
She looked at the young girl when a thought crossed her mind.
The ease of the war against Team Flare lay partly on the girl''s ability to keep a secret. Tanya broached an important question.
"How old are you?"
The binder was reasonably put together. Marie must simply look young for her age. The same went for Tanya, so it wasn''t an outlandish belief.
"Ten and three-quarters."
Was it too late to reconsider?
Chapter 24
"I''m not mad at you; I''m disappointed."
Tanya stood with her arms crossed, a stern expression on her face. She was experimenting with a change in approach, and if the way the Pokemon in front of her squirmed, it was working.
It was the morning after what she was dubbing the disaster. They''d risen later than usual, having spent most of the night traveling to and from the city after dropping off Marie. She''d let the girl go after attempting to impress upon her the importance of keeping her mouth shut. Tanya withheld the details of Team Flare, simply telling her ''bad'' people were after her and that she could share the story at some point in the future.
The thought of letting Marie in on everything did occur, which prompted a self-evaluation to determine if she was still sane. The results, while conclusive, were closer than she would have liked.
So no.
No telling the ten-year-old girl about a region-spanning criminal conspiracy.
Now, they were properly in the badlands. The red expanse was quite the backdrop to her camp. Although calling it that was generous, given she''d not even bothered setting up the tent.
Instead, they merely nestled into a crook of the large boulder. It provided ample enough shelter from the elements and was an awfully convenient way station¡ªone not often visited from what she could tell.
She had their guide to thank for that. The Pokemon herself was skulking a dozen meters away, and Tanya kept a close eye on it.
"Ma-" The Pokemon''s mouth hung open, retort dying in her lips.
Her head swiveled, looking for support. Ralts offered none, maintaining a steady stare on Tanya. Mimikyu, resting in the Pokemon''s arms, was stiller than usual. It was odd that she was beginning to be able to differentiate between the ghost type''s various states of non-movements. She''d inquired about this morning''s strangeness when first waking, only to be told by Ralts that he was experiencing indigestion.
Tanya remembered what he''d told her about his diet and chose not to delve into the implications of that statement.
Seeing both offer no aid, Mawile''s eyes landed on Carbink. Before he could derail her rebuke, Tanya decided to hammer the nail into the coffin.
"As for the rest of you." Ralts stood straight. Had Tanya still been in the military, she''d find no faults with the Pokemon''s posture. "Excellent work; you all performed within my expectations."
Tanya dismissed their reactions, focusing on Mawile''s. The Pokemon''s eyes were wide, as if not believing what was happening.
She did her best not to let the ends of her mouth curl upwards.
Mawile was a jealous Pokemon.
Frankly, she should have figured this out sooner. All the signs were there. In fact, almost the exact same scenario played out on their first shopping trip. There was no use lamenting her late discovery; she just had to make sure to effectively use it going forward. Tanya could already envision how much easier life would be now that she had a handle on-
Her thoughts came to a halt as a crash was heard. Cracks appeared on the boulder, appearing like a spider web. The source of the disturbance was a tiny fist, and Tanya began to reconsider her approach.
"Ma!" The Pokemon exclaimed in a heated manner. "Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma!"
Mawile stamped her feet repeatedly, rapidly kicking up a cloud of dirt.
"Enough!" Tanya yelled over the Pokemon''s tantrum. "This is no way to behave!"
This was ridiculous. Why did she even put up with this?
Right, because the Pokemon could likely benchpress an Onix. Covering her mouth with an arm, she used the other to wave the rising dust away.
Slowly the debris settled, and she was met with the sight of the small Pokemon coated in the stuff. She might have heard a sniffle, but it must have been a reaction to the irritants.
Tanya wiped her face and then crossed the distance between them.
Red eyes gazed up at her. It might have been her imagination, but they looked redder than usual.
What in the hell was she doing?
With a sigh, she patted the Pokemon. Her chief reason was to get rid of the dust, but she wasn''t ignorant as to the side effects.
"What I''m trying to say is that when I say no, I mean no. Stealing the bike went against my direct orders."
Mawile puffed out her cheeks and looked to the side before uttering. "Wile."
Tanya reviewed her recollection of events.
"That''s a technicality." She''d not actually told the Pokemon to stop. "You knew my intent; I was trying to pry you off the stupid thing."
The Pokemon remained silent, and Tanya stopped her patting. She waited patiently, and eventually, Mawile relented.
"Ile," Tanya resumed her action on the admission, only to stop when the Pokemon continued. "Ile, ma, wile."
Mawile defended herself, this time without the theatrics.
"In the field, my word is law. If there is time, then I''m not opposed to hearing a reasonable argument, but I can''t have you or any of the others taking reckless actions." She was fairly certain they''d been over this. "The bike, while a quick escape, was not a smooth one. We attracted far more attention than needed. Dumping the outfit and disappearing into the city would have produced better results."
There was no guarantee of that, but she found it hard to believe it could have been worse. Tanya desperately wanted to put the battery back in her phone and assess the damage. With great discipline, she stayed her hand.
It may not be a holocaster, but her phone still had a signal. She doubted they would go through the trouble of checking everyone in the area, but on the off chance they did, she didn''t want to be caught with a duffle bag full of illicit goods.
In simple terms, she was not giving Being X any room to tilt things. She would wait until getting near the city to check.
"Even with the bike," Tanya continued, explaining her reasoning. "If not for the flock, we may have been captured."
She paused, expecting the Pokemon to say something to the effect of ''I could take them''.
"Alts, Ra." Ralts spoke physically, which was a rare occurrence. "Ral."
Yes, she''d been getting at that¡
"Ralts is right. You did well to end the threat of Skarmory." Mawile perked up at the praise. "But how many times do I need to tell you?" She increased the pressure of her hand "Stop announcing your damn attacks."
What kind of nonsense was Fairy Cannon?
Mawile shook off her hand, stomping her foot once. It was gentle this time, so they were not given another dirt bath.
"Wile!"
Should she have expected any more from the Pokemon who thought that coat was a good look?
"Cool or not." Tanya leaned very heavily on the ''not'' side of the spectrum. "We''re not putting on a performance; we''re doing a job. Enemies are either avoided altogether or dealt with swiftly."
As Ralts had done, but pointing that out felt superfluous at this point.
"Bin?" Carbink asked, floating over and pressing into her. "Ink?"
Briefly, she wondered if all trainers dealt with this. Not that she counted herself among their number.
"Calling out an attack does not make it more powerful." There was a limit to gullibility, but she''d yet to find it with Carbink. "However, yes, you made good ammunition." It was a compliment she''d never expected to give. "I presume you used Harden in concert with Mawile''s Spit Up."
Naming convention aside, she saw its practicality. It transformed Carbink''s defensive properties into offensive. The Pokemon''s bottom was sharply angled, letting him concentrate the full force of the attack into a small focal point. The effects were rather devastating if what happened to the Skarmory was any indication.
"Ink!" He confirmed the use of Harden. "Bin, bin."
Only once then. He didn''t have enough time to stack anymore. This also explained what sort of secret training the pair had been up to. She felt a smidge of happiness over the Pokemon being productive.
"Bite," Their guide interrupted, not sounding pleased at the delay. "Gab, ite."
She supposed they should start moving; there was a long way to go and the day was young. Tanya found herself already feeling exhausted.
"We''ll be right over." Being cordial cost nothing, although the snort she received told her it might be wasted. "Mawile, do you mind helping to carry things?"
It was a polite way to phrase an order. Between her pack, the duffel bag, and the burlap sack, she''d look like a pack mule if it was all laden on her. The thought of casting away items occurred to her, but she found herself reluctant to part with anything.
However, if it did come down to it, she was getting rid of everything but the bare essentials before leaving the sack.
Aside from the Keystone and Megastone, it was likely her most valuable possession.
The harsh sun beat down on her; the sticky sweat on her brow was cooling, but she was finding herself missing the days she could just sit in a cubicle. Air conditioning, a list of daily tasks, coffee in the break room¡ªwhat more could anyone ask for?
But it was a distant memory by now, and she had been conditioned under harsher circumstances.
Her footfalls produced a slight crunching sound as the caked dirt broke under her boots. She unhinged her canteen, wetting her lips and mouth.
The badlands, while similar, weren''t quite the same as a desert. Both were arid environments and not exactly welcoming to life, but the badlands were more rugged in their terrain. There was also a stark lack of sand. That wasn''t to say there was none, but it wasn''t to the scale she''d grown used to in her last desert excursion.
Tanya was very thankful for that. While she wasn''t exactly clean due to Mawile''s antics and the errant dirt cloud, she was leagues better than she would have been dealing with sand.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Somewhat ironically, she found herself glad that she''d yet to procure a proper firearm; cleaning it here would have been a chore.
She was hopeful she would have better luck on that front once in the city. Her first stay had been cut short, but she was certain with a little searching she''d find the city''s seedy underbelly. Then, with a little bartering, she could finally equip herself properly.
Of course, entering the city itself would be dependent on what her phone showed her.
"Gab," her guide gruffed. "Bite, ite."
She could keep going longer, but doing so in such an inhospitable route was foolhardy. It was better to pace yourself and recharge when you could.
"Are we expecting any issues? I would think a watering hole to be valuable territory."
Living beings needed an absurd amount of water to survive; monopolizing the few sources of it before others could was the logical conclusion.
The Pokemon took great big whiffs while trudging forward. Through her observations, she''d deduced Gabite was no fan of hers.
Still, based on the direction of the sun, they were headed the right way.
Whether Gabite had actually volunteered for the task or was voluntold by Garchomp, she hadn''t been able to determine.
"Gabi." She was curt, and Tanya had been about to ask for her to elaborate when she continued. "Ite, ite."
A truce of some sort then. That also made a degree of sense. Conflict, more often than not, left both parties worse off. If one side could not be strong-armed into accepting a state of affairs, then sharing the resource was the next best option.
They traveled along one of the large plateaus inhabiting the region; its shadow eventually cast over them, giving her a brief reprieve from the sun.
Gabite stopped at a spherical rock; it was about the size of a sedan. Placing two claws on it, the Pokemon heaved, and the mass was lifted.
"Bit," she gritted out, straining under the pressure as she held the boulder up by one side.
Tanya eyed the revealed hole with skepticism. Being buried alive was not a pleasant way to go.
"BIT."
The dragon urged, earning a snicker from Mawile before the Pokemon jumped into the unknown. Given she was about to suggest the Pokemon go first, Tanya was far from upset.
Mawile wasn''t likely to be defeated by dirt.
She waited for a few seconds, and when no cry of alarm came, Tanya followed suit. Landing with a thud on account of the baggage she carried.
Pumping aura into her eyes to see, she saw it was a tunnel. Above, a bang sounded, and Gabite soon fell beside them. The Pokemon shook itself off before taking the lead.
The unlikely trio traveled through the dark. Luckily, or more likely by design, the passageway was several meters wide, allowing them room to maneuver if needed.
Soon sounds began to drift over. She could pick out the cries of Pokemon, although not what species they came from.
Light poured in ahead, and they came out into a large cavern.
No, that wasn''t quite right.
There were openings in the ceiling where she could see the blue sky peak in. They were narrow things, looking to have been cut out forcibly.
Large rock columns held the roof, and in the center sat a large body of water. Shapes could be seen enjoying themselves along the banks. With her sharpened vision, she identified the potential threats.
Talonflame, Marowak, and Golem stood out. They were posted far from each other, and each had their own entourage.
"Ma!" Mawile exclaimed, dropping the sack and rushing forward. "WILE!"
She jumped, doing a flip and crashing into the water.
A hand found her face, and she dragged it down.
Words were useless on that one.
Tanya gave a side glance at Gabite, who did not seem alarmed at the action. Taking that as a cue the behavior was acceptable, she picked up the discarded bag and trudged forward.
Coming to a stop at the edge, she set her belongings down and dunked her head into the water, taking a refreshing gulp of the liquid. Lifting her head back out, she sat down, removing her boots, and resting her feet in the cool water.
Mawile rested on her back, floating in the water while wading her hands back and forth to propel herself around. Tanya had half expected the Pokemon to sink to the bottom and then demand rescue. Or, more likely, destroy the pool and bring the ire of the natives down on her.
She gave a quick inspection towards them, and seeing no signs of hostility, she reluctantly went for her belt.
Red flashes heralded the arrival of the rest of her party. It must have been nice to travel in a comfortable ball while everyone else did the hard work for you.
"Bin?" Carbink rotated quickly, taking in the surroundings. "Bin! Bin?"
Tanya considered before replying.
"Stay in sight."
If there was one thing she trusted Carbink on, it was not starting a fight. Tanya suspected his dimness was readily apparent, and that was why other Pokemon did not see him as a threat.
''Mimi?'' Ralts queried.
"I put him in the pack for now; he can come out if he wants."
Ralts nodded, padding over to where she was and mimicking Tanya''s position. Gabite slinked off a little away from them, taking a drink while keeping an eye out.
This hidden oasis she''d led them to had scored her points in Tanya''s mental ledger. She would never have found it by herself. In fact, she wondered how many humans would have chanced upon it.
There was no guarantee one would find it by flying overhead either, as the holes were cut diagonally, making it so that you needed to be at an angle to see all the way through.
It wasn''t natural¡ªthe holes or the cavern. Someone had carved it out. With its current residents, she gave it good odds that the Pokemon themselves had done it. They''d proven able to organize when the need called for it.
She eyed them again, seeing they were largely minding their own business. Perplexingly, the Marowak gave her a nod. Tanya returned it, not wanting to offend the Pokemon.
Not wanting to waste time, she dragged the sack closer to her to resume her sorting.
Taking out a single scale, she held it up to the light. Seeing it was translucent, she placed it to the side and went for another.
Learning she''d not been cheated had been simultaneously a relief and an embarrassment. Her expectations had been elsewhere, and when provided a bag of dirty scales, she made too quick a judgment. In her defense, had it been claws, horns, or fangs, she would have placed a greater amount of value on them.
But these, for the large part, were nothing impressive to look at. She had Marie to thank for knowing otherwise.
The girl had been gobsmacked upon learning what the bag contained. If she weren''t so young, Tanya would have considered her at risk of a heart attack.
Evidently, Dragon Scales were more than a little valuable. To the right buyer, that is, as their only use were to evolve Seadra to Kingdra. A species that happened to be native to Kalos.
She paused, having finally come across a potential moneymaker. The scale was darker than the others and rough to the touch. She pressed on its sides, finding no give. As a final test, she probed it with a small amount of aura. That prompted a reaction, the tiny scale lashing out at her intrusion.
With a grin, she placed it in a pouch with the others. That was five so far.
Not all dragon scales were Dragon Scales. Only the oldest and most powerful dragon''s could shed them, and even then they did so seldomly.
The most common way to pick them out was taught to her by Marie; it was a part of the trainer curriculum.
Curious about their usage in evolution, Tanya had discovered they had some bite in them.
She suspected they were rare because the dragon had to cast off part of their aura to create them. It sounded¡taxing.
As for the ''regular'' scales, they still held some use. Marie couldn''t say how, but she did know they were used in the creation of healing tonics. Being something she was sorely in need of, Tanya was likely to hold onto the batch and research how to process them herself.
A feeling of envy came from her side, and she looked at Ralts in question.
Pink eyes flickered in her direction briefly.
"Is something wrong?"
The Pokemon seemed unusually cagey about it, and Tanya maintained a stare until she broke.
''Nothing Mama.''
Tanya didn''t buy that, following the Pokemon''s gaze. She was watching Mawile paddle about, doing a poor impression of a backstroke.
"Do you want to swim?"
There was nothing stopping her from doing so.
Indignation came over but was promptly shut off.
Realization dawned on her. Ralts didn''t know how to swim.
Tanya counted it among the vital skills of a competent soldier. It wasn''t exactly a priority in the badlands, but this venue was more suitable for learning than most.
Tanya removed articles of clothing she''d prefer to stay dry and waded into the water. She took the opportunity to scrub some of the grime off herself before reaching out to Ralts.
"Come, I''ll teach you."
The psychic Pokemon gingerly took her hand, and Tanya guided her until the water came to her chest.
"Go ahead and-" Tanya paused, realizing the Pokemon had already let her feet leave the floor and was now floating. "Yes, exactly like that."
She took the Pokemon through what she knew, rapidly making progress at first only to have it screech to a crawl towards the end. It was a strange turn of events, but she persisted.
For a moment, the concerns living rent-free in her mind fell to the wayside.
It wasn''t to last, and a growl caught her attention; it was from Gabite and not directed towards her.
A chill came over her, feelings of anger not her own bubbling up.
She set it aside, tilting her head up and seeing green figures begin to descend.
Once she got back to civilization, she was going to run the numbers on how expensive taking baths in repel would be.
Chapter 25
Should she start screening her routes to avoid fire-breathing lizards? She was certainly feeling that way as she watched the Flygon descend into the oasis, flanked by multiple Vibrava.
Wait. She was overreacting. This was a no-fighting zone; there was no reason to worry.
As if to mock her, the Flygons'' maw opened wide.
"GON!!!!!!!"
Its roar was accompanied by a gust of sand entering the refuge. Through her peripherals, she could see one of the other groups react promptly.
Talonflame batted its wings, leaping into the sky and releasing a cry before leaving with its Fletchinders and Fletchlings.
She supposed expecting her hide to be saved twice by birds was a bit too much to ask.
Leaving sounded like a good option, one she would have jumped on herself if not for the Flygon already heading right toward them.
She was still close to the shore, so she pushed off the oasis floor and, with a single leap, brought herself and Ralts onto the bank. The latter having been scooped up under her arm.
''Eliminate.''
A sense of loathing came with it, but Tanya had little time for Ralts'' antics and prepared for the upcoming conflict.
Mawile was still paddling back, having been caught in the deep end. While Carbink had, thankfully, rushed back after seeing the new arrivals.
"Bin?"
No, they did not look to be interested in making friends. Though she was tempted to order him to try in order to buy time.
The saving grace was Mimikyu''s form lying prone on the floor; she''d not taken him out of the bag, which meant he''d deliberately displayed himself like that.
Oh, and she supposed she could count Ralts, who upon closer inspection was trying to kill the newcomers with her eyes.
Was the color too similar? She couldn''t tell what had caused such a visceral reaction in the Pokemon.
"Fly, gon, gon!" The Pokemon barked, keeping its position in the air. "On, gon."
Tanya''s heart might have skipped a beat after hearing those words, and she looked towards Gabite, who had squared her feet and was snarling at the Flygon.
This¡wasn''t for her?
Was her luck beginning to turn? Well, losing the guide would be a loss, but she could make do if it meant not being involved in what appeared to be some personal squabble between the dragons.
She was betting it was for some inane reason, like both of them being dual Ground and Dragon types.
Gabite held her ground, and seeing her thigh flex, Tanya expected her to pounce. She didn''t, despite her claws digging into the dirt.
For her part, Tanya had made no more movements, wary of attracting any attention.
Which was why she felt aggrieved when Gabite gave her a side glance. It did not go unnoticed, and Flygon craned its head, regarding her for a moment before its wings quivered. Tanya had been prepared for an attack, but all she heard was a strange sound being emitted. It took her a moment to realize what it sounded like¡ªa laugh.
"Gon? Flygon? On!"
The exclamation caused the Vibrava to join in, flapping their wings and sending mocking quips towards Gabite and Tanya.
"Gab, ite!" Gabite corrected the misunderstanding for both of them. Tanya was not this creature''s trainer and thus had nothing to do with this interpersonal disagreement. "Ite, Gabite!"
That last part was uncalled for. She''d just rinsed off; there was no chance she still smelled.
"Gon, fly!" The Pokemon provoked, its tail swishing back and forth. "Gon?"
Perfectly fine with her. They could fight all they wanted¡ªjust not while she was around.
Fortunately, Mawile finally made it to the shore, wagging a leg to get some of the clay off her. She paced over while regarding the pack of troublemakers.
''Kill. Skin. Profit.''
Tanya considered it for a moment and then rejected the proposal.
From the context, these two Pokemon were rivals of a sort. Which meant Flygon would not be near as old or powerful enough to be able to produce a Dragon Scale.
And that wasn''t mentioning her complete ignorance when it came to how to skin the creature. She was liable to make a complete mess of it.
"Maw," Mawile commented and shook her head. Knowing better than to chalk it up to the Pokemon being reasonable, she waited for the continuation. "Wile, ile?"
There it was.
"No, we''re not injuring one and then following them to their nest."
Mawile rubbed her chin in thought before turning to Mimikyu.
"Wile, ma, maw."
Tanya took a breath, holding it for several seconds. Releasing it, she continued.
"We do not balance teams." Not only was she dangerously close to revealing Tanya''s trump card, but she suggested said card fight on the side of the Flygon. "One of these days you won''t be able to back up that mouth of yours."
The Pokemon snapped the set of black jaws in her direction, and Tanya swatted it away.
Mawile did have an issue with overconfidence, but in a pinch, Tanya believed this fight was winnable. The Vibrava came off to her as hangers-on and the Flygon a bully. All she had to do was punch, or stab, the bully in the face, and the rest would lose their courage.
But why take the risk?
As long as she used the sun to dictate her path, she would be more than capable of reaching her destination.
"Maro." A voice came across the oasis. It was soft yet perfectly audible for all those present. "Wak."
It looked expectantly at the other side, and a reluctant Golem nodded.
"Go, lem."
So the peace would be enforced by these two? That would be preferable. Tanya was cognizant that her team did not present the most threatening of appearances. That Marowak, on the other hand, looked both willing and capable of adding a new bone to its collection.
"Gon," Flygon reared its head, the wings vibrating in place. After inspecting the two potential adversaries, it turned back to Gabite. "Fly?"
It asked again, suggesting they change venues.
"Bite," she said, gesturing to Tanya''s group. "Gab, ite."
Tanya chewed on the inside of her cheek. Was it using her as an excuse, or did it really consider it her duty to see Tanya''s group safely through the badlands?
Did it make a difference?
Flygon snorted, clearly thinking it was the former reason.
"Wak," the Pokemon intoned again, smacking its bone weapon against its palm. "Mar."
Curiously, the Cubone''s around her shifted to the side awkwardly.
Tanya wasn''t certain what was taking so long; the tide had clearly turned. If it wanted trouble, it would receive that in spades.
It seemed to finally realize this, and after spitting on the ground, it ascended back through the opening, quickly followed by the Vibrava.
There was a moment of silence before a crash was heard and a section of earth was dug up. Gabite''s retracted her forelimbs after unleashing whatever attack that was.
Juvenile, but it had waited for the situation to deescalate.
Tanya set Ralts down, having kept her in case she needed to dodge any attacks, and went over to pick up Mimikyu.
She''d only just done so when Gabite padded over. Tanya noticed how she kept an eye on the roof opening.
"Gabit, ite," she dictated.
Staying the whole night? Provided Flygon does not return with reinforcements, this would be a decent camp location. The problem is they''d virtually made no progress.
While staying out of civilization wasn''t a bad idea for now, they had limited food stores.
"Maw," Mawile stated dismissively, rolling her eyes. "Ile, ile."
Gabite blinked before disregarding the statement as nonsense. She must not have overheard their previous discussion.
"I appreciate your commitment but do not hold yourself back for us. If you wish to confront the Flygon, I recommend you do so."
Away from them.
"Ite, gab." She denied, citing her duty again. "Gabite, gab."
So it thought the Flygon was waiting outside for it? Likely, and another reason to part ways.
"Bink?"
Carbink, who''d been mercifully silent this whole time, chimed in.
It wasn''t a valid question.
Now whole again, Garchomp was in the process of moving to their new nest. Not only would reaching them involve back tracking, but then they''d be stuck waiting until the relocation was complete.
Still, it did remind her that leaving this Pokemon for dead was not the best of solutions. The benefits of having a connection to a pack of dragons were dubious, but it certainly had to hold some value. If only to be able to trade for more scales in the future.
She could see a wonderful future where she peddled them useless crap and, in return, received priceless materials.
Abrtitrage, the practice of purchasing undervalued goods and reselling them at their true value, was a staple of the modern economy. It helped remove inefficiencies in the market.
''Steal march,'' Ralts supplied, though the undercurrents of dissatisfaction still wafted off of her.
That idea had merit. Sleep now, and then travel under darkness. Night actions were inherently risky, but they did have a guide.
"Thoughts?" She asked the group.
After turning a blind eye to the thumbs down from Mawile, there were none.
¡ª
It may not have been a desert, but she found the nighttime air of the badlands to be as cold as one.
Tanya breathed into her hands, rubbing them together for a moment and then placing them under her armpits for warmth.
With Gabite at their front and Mawile taking up the rear, they were making good time. She glanced up at the sky, the countless stars staring back at her.
Her knowledge of constellations was not as comprehensive as she''d prefer, but she had picked up the basics enough to know they were roughly going the right way. It hadn''t been as direct as she''d liked, but she presumed the detours they were making were to avoid obstacles. Pokemon or otherwise.
"Thank you again for volunteering to lead us," Tanya said in a friendly tone. If anyone had told her a couple of months ago she''d been attempting to network with a land shark... well, she would have thought it a creative way to avoid the front. Not that the insanity plea would have worked on her. "I''m sure Garchomp is proud of you."
With humans, facial expressions could tell you a lot about what they were thinking. Pokemon were far more difficult to read that way; thankfully, most were fairly expressive.
Case in point, she was now shaking off the dirt that Gabite had ''accidentally'' sent her direction. The Pokemon hadn''t stopped walking; she had simply dug her foot in a tad too deep and then flung it back.
Tanya could have dodged it, but provoking the beast wasn''t in her best interest.
"Bite, ga."
Oh? She''d not expected a response.
"I''m sure she is." If there was one thing she was good at, it was lying through her teeth. "She probably has difficulty expressing how she truly feels. That''s a very common issue."
People did not know how to communicate properly. It was a constant in all the worlds she''d been in and had caused her more than a little frustration at times.
Fortunately, she counted it among one of the few skills she truly excelled at.
A rock impacted the back of her head, and she whirled around, knife drawn.
All she found was a Mawile attempting to whistle. Very poorly, she might add, as the Pokemon was just blowing air.
Brat.
Tanya turned back, not rewarding Mawile with any further reaction. Little did the Pokemon know that stunt had just delayed her gift. Though the eventual timing would depend on when or if they got into the city. She was the least deserving of a reward, so it was wrong to give her one before the others.
"Ite, bite, gab?"
The dragon ground out, clearly reluctant. Tanya got the sense the question was a long time coming, and she was only just now working up the nerve to ask.
"Dedication, training, and natural talent. Not necessarily in that order."
Summing up the origin of her strength wasn''t easy, but she felt that covered most of the pertinent parts.
"Gabit."
Arrogant, but she probably wasn''t too far off the mark. If the Pokemon was as dutiful in guiding as she was in everyday life, then the first two were covered. As for the last, she was a dragon.
That was an easy checkbox to mark.
"Experience then; I''ve been exposed to many different situations. Most of them were hazardous to my health in some way. To have any hope for survival, I had to continuously develop myself." A thought occurred to her, and she added on. "Along with the others around me."
The 203rd were a mighty force multiplier.
"Ite, gabite, gabite," the Pokemon gave a rebuttal.
Tanya shook her head before responding.
"How many of those were out of Route 13? How far was Garchomp during them?" Gabite bristled at the remark, but Tanya continued. "Did you ever fear for your life? Or were you confident that your pack would make up for any shortcomings?"
The Pokemon jerked her head around, peeling the back of her lips back to display the rows of sharp teeth.
"Am I wrong?"
Perhaps she should have backed off, but she''d dealt with nepotism before, and this was eerily similar.
The Pokemon stopped her march, resting a limb on the ground. Tanya paused as well, meeting the challenging stare.
Hadn''t they been through this before?
Mawile, in complete disregard for the tension, passed by Tanya without a care. Gabite released a growl as the Pokemon neared.
"Don''t," she warned. The last thing she wanted to do was nurse a dragon back to health. "We''re allies."
The Fairy type turned, blinking innocently and pointing at herself in questioning.
Yes, you.
Is what Tanya wanted to say.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
She withheld her comment as Gabite had shaken her snout and resumed her pace, evidently thinking the words were directed at her.
Tanya was in no rush to correct the assumption. Neither was Mawile if the grin was any indication.
That was more of Mimikyu''s thing. Were the two close? Although she had displayed similar behavior against the Slowbro. Was this a Fairy thing?
Her thought was broken off when she witnessed both of Mawile''s jaws open, the Pokemon releasing a long yawn.
It was a genuine one, and Tanya felt some vindication. She had told the Pokemon to stop playing in the water and get some sleep, but Mawile thought she knew better.
Some lessons were better learned the hard way.
The hike continued for another half hour before something changed. It started with Gabite''s neck arching, straining to see something in the distance.
Tanya''s eyes glowed, and on the horizon, she saw a cloud rapidly approaching. She bit back a curse.
While it could have been a natural occurrence, she was betting the culprit was that Flygon.
"Gab, bit, bit." The Pokemon spoke resolutely, a hardened gaze pointed at the upcoming storm. "Gabite."
Was it stupid?
Turning and running would see them swallowed up in the sandstorm. If they didn''t take a stand now, they were liable to be picked off.
Tanya went for her belt.
"Bink?"
Carbink rotated around, adjusting to the change of scenery.
"Battle prep, both of you."
Both started using their respective buffing moves without complaint.
"Bite!" Gabite urged again with a solemn tone. "Ite."
The Pokemon really wanted them to leave. Did it truly want to cover their escape? It did seem the dragon thing to do, but the Pokemon could just as easily tunnel away and use them as a distraction.
Regardless, Gabite''s thoughts did not factor into the equation.
"We''re taking them head-on."
It had the largest chance of success.
The dragon''s head snapped in her direction, tilting to the side before snarling.
"Gabite!!!"
She stomped, trying to get their attention.
Tanya ignored it, settling her bags down and rifling through her pack. She pulled Mimikyu free with a sense of satisfaction.
"Bite???"
She really didn''t have time for it.
"Reflect now, wide as you can go. I want to force them to approach." That line favored physical attacks, so she hoped the move would prove annoying enough to force their advance. "Mawile, the second you have eyes on that Flygon, I want it down."
A lazy salute was sent her way, indicating the level of seriousness the Pokemon was taking this with.
Buzzing was soon heard, becoming louder and louder until it was near deafening. That was going to make it hard to give orders.
She didn''t let that halt her preparations, and she released Ralts. Pink eyes locked onto the cloud. The sheer anticipation rolling off of the diminutive Pokemon was so great that for a moment Tanya confused it for her own.
Shaking off the feeling, she opened her jacket and had Ralts hop inside. Taking a belt, she secured the Pokemon against her chest. The position of her head directly under Tanya''s meant her field of vision would be slightly obscured, but that was an acceptable trade-off.
Ralts was their most vulnerable member, so keeping her close was best practice.
Carbink''s Reflect popped up, being erected in a semi-circle ahead of them.
Gabite seemed to abandon trying to convince them, and there was a moment of stillness before the blanket of sand impacted them.
It crashed against the rainbow barrier; grains of sand passed through only to lose most of their momentum and fall to the ground harmlessly.
Knife in her right hand and Mimikyu in her left; her head swiveled as she tried to pick out shapes through the cloud. From her side, a blue beam was launched, disappearing into the storm.
It was a waste of a Dragon Breath.
Her nose crinkled at the sickening, sweet smell that wafted over. Mawile was bouncing from one leg to another. She mimed a few punches before raising her arms in victory, slowly rotating as to address all of the surroundings. Her flashy coat flapped in the wind.
Even knowing the Taunt was being used, Tanya could not help but want to hit the Pokemon.
She was not the only one, and several figures burst onto the scene.
''Five.''
Mawile needed to save herself for Flygon, which meant these extras were for the rest of them to deal with.
Coming over the shield, a Virbava swooped down. Gabite lurched forward, leaping into the air and coming down with a Vibrava in her jaws. She swung it back and forth like an abused dog toy.
That one in hand, Tanya sprung towards one approaching from their flank. Her right shoulder rammed into the Pokemon. Blade glowing, she swung her knife out. The Cut clipped the Vibrava''s wing as it was knocked back.
A boulder soared through the air, heading for Mawile. One of them must have gone around them.
It broke against a newly formed hexagonal shield, Carbink''s Protect taking the hit with ease.
The one she''d first attacked rose back into the air, its tail radiating a light blue.
Dragon Tail?
Tanya stepped forward, sending a Double Team to meet the Pokemon head-on while her actual body ducked to the side. Her illusion faded as the tail impacted, and she didn''t give it a chance to recover, slamming her knife down on the small of its back where the wings met.
She didn''t pierce skin, but she did hold it down long enough for pink hearts to come from beneath her head and push the Pokemon further into the dirt.
As loathe as she was to be associated with it, Fairy moves were their best bet against these things.
Its struggles increased, and she was straining to keep it down when something impacted her side, knocking her off her feet.
She rolled, stopping at a crouch and seeing another Vibrava twitch its wings before a red beam was sent her way. The dirt in its path was parted as it neared her. She watched it with contempt as she sidestepped the blast.
''Below!''
Despite it being conveyed, Tanya was unable to escape the jaw clamping around her foot. It dug into her leg, and she withheld a wince as she was pulled into the earth.
Another red beam raced toward her and she held a hand up. The Protect broke under the attack but seemed to blunt it enough so that her extended arm was able to take it without complaint.
The original Vibrava''s tail glowed again, and it flew toward her for a second chance. A glance to the side showed Mawile beginning to turn in her direction when a green mass dropped from the sky, slamming into the Pokemon and sending them both into the storm.
Finally.
Now it was only a matter of time before they broke. Carbink looked to be engaged with a single Vibrava. Or it looked to be trying its best to minimal effect.
The other two were on Gabite, boulders and dirt being exchanged liberally as the Pokemon made their Ground typings known. She noticed orange shackles on Gabite''s legs.
Trapinch, which was probably what was pulling her further down.
She supposed that should be rectified. But first, she had to deal with the charging Dragon Tail.
Tanya chucked the doll toward the Pokemon, who dipped lower to avoid the projectile. In spite of the pain, a grin split her face as shadowy tendrils wrapped around the Pokemon, causing it to veer off course into the storm.
She did not anticipate that to take long.
With the various Vibrava now engaged, the sound approached a level where she could once again hear herself think.
"Disable on the bastard chewing on my leg."
She stated simply and felt Ralts pulse against her chest. Her downward momentum was halted.
Buried close to her midriff, she braced her arms against the earth and pushed herself up, slowly extracting herself.
Far too slow for her liking, and the Vibrava that was left with sought to use her as target practice. Its legs hit the ground, causing the dirt to split in her direction.
Upturned earth burrowed toward her, and her mind raced with solutions.
Why was the best one it could come up with to grit her teeth and take it?
The hold on her leg tightened, indicating the Disable had run its course. She was about to order Ralts to Teleport away when something brushed against her mind.
The presence was clearly Ralts, but it wasn''t a message or feeling like usual. It felt like her metaphorical hand was grabbed and then led to another.
For an instant, she felt what could only be described as pure optimism. That no matter what occurred, everything would work out.
It passed, and in its place, power flooded her. She twisted her body, sheltering Ralts. The earth met her skin and was found wanting.
The jaw around her leg a mere irritant now; she hauled herself out. The Trapinch came with her, and her knife slammed into its eye, earning a shriek and causing it to finally release her.
Something hit her back, and shattered bits of rock rained down around her.
She''d barely felt that.
What the hell was happening?
Not being the only one confused, the Vibrava blinked at her. Tanya broke out into a sprint, sending Double Teams to further confound the Pokemon.
She jumped, gaining some air, and at the apex of her jump, she formed a Protect.
Her legs pushed off it, one of them screaming in protest.
The Vibrava was a tad slow, only being able to widen her eyes when Tanya landed on it knife first.
Her lips twitched. The blow was still shallow, looking far worse than it was.
She felt invincible, so why were her attacks still lacking? It was almost as if her defense¡
Tanya''s head whipped to the side. Her eyes passed over Gabite, who was being dogpiled, and zoned in on Carbink.
One of the gems on his body had been cracked.
Guard Split.
That idiot!
Tanya abandoned her current quarry, rushing to Carbink. Leaping over sections of upturned earth, she made her way to him as fast as possible.
Her frustration grew as she saw him fall for repeated Feint Attacks. Each one left him more battered. They weren''t even well executed!
The only silver lining was that the Vibrava was having such a good time using her subordinate as a punching bag that it failed to notice her approach.
Her fingers curled around a wing, yanking it back. Her knife, glowing purple, plunged into the membrane, and she Cut across its length.
It parted like butter, leaving her wondering if this one was that much weaker than the others. A grating screech came from it, loosening her hold enough for it to wiggle away.
The Pokemon was not her current concern, and rather than chase, she inspected Carbink. It was more than a single jewel. Several chunks had broken off, and his fluffy scarf was torn in places. Coated in clay, he must have suffered more than those Feint attacks.
"Bin?"
His cheery voice sounded.
"Yes, you were a lot of help."
In giving her a headache. She could have handled the situation herself. Now she had to deal with his injuries.
His eyelids sagged downward, along with his ears. Tanya returned him promptly.
The effects of the Guard Split left with him, proving the hasty assumptions she''d drawn on its mechanics. It was a shame, she had been hoping to keep it in play, but she''d be a poor manager if she pushed him any further.
She''d see to his care after.
"GABITE!"
A roar sounded, bringing her back to the present. The dragon had seen better days; lacerations coated her body. Trapinchs still gnawed at her feet while she dealt with repeated blows from a pair of dive-bombing Vibrava.
Just when she was about to go assist her nominal ally, a thump sounded in front of her.
Flygon landed, its six-foot stature causing her to be the tallest among all of them.
The battlefield froze; all eyes were on the dragon.
Had¡had Mawile lost?!?
Sure, she wanted the Pokemon humbled somewhat, but not right now!
This was horrible. How was she expected to fight a dragon on her lonesome?
''Mama.''
Okay, how was she supposed to fight a dragon with herself and an adolescent Pokemon?
Why did she throw away Mimikyu?
No, this was still fine. She refused to believe the tricky Ghost type to fall to a Vibrava. She just needed to stall until he could rejoin her.
With grim determination, she met the dragon''s eyes. They seemed to tremble behind the red lenses.
Rage over its gang''s casualties? This could have been avoided had it not been so stupidly aggressive.
It moved suddenly, and she barely managed to step back when its head hit the ground.
Headbutt? But it hadn''t even been close to hitting her.
"Gon, Gon, Gon!"
What?
Where those tears? What happened to the proud dragon?
It refused to look up, begging for forgiveness.
From the dying sandstorm, a figure emerged. Mawile walked forward with a steady stride, one of the sleeves of her coat hanging loose. Tanya thought her eyes looked strained, as if she was forcing herself.
She spat sand out of her mouth, and Tanya could tell her breathing was more ragged than usual.
Gripped under her arms was a slightly refurbished Pikachu doll.
Mimikyu?
He was supposed to guard her. Did he decide to help Mawile after taking out Vibrava?
Under the eyes of everyone present, she walked up to Tanya. Stopping right in front of the young girl, the Pokemon balled her fist and held it in front of her mouth, stifling a yawn.
After that was done her hand grabbed Tanya''s.
She was yanked slightly forward as her palm was placed on Mawile''s forehead, being moved up and down methodolically.
Were headpats non-negotiable now?
Chapter 26
Tanya''s teeth gnashed together as her fingernails sunk into her palms.
Saying she was pissed would be an understatement. Still, only an animal governed by emotions would lash out at this moment. As a rational individual, she tempered her actions and sought to solidify her understanding.
"Are you telling me." She paused, bottling some of the frustration that had threatened to leak out. "This was some fucked up mating ritual?"
Gabite made a face before stomping her foot in anger.
"Ga, bi-" The words got stuck in her throat as Tanya leveled a glare towards her.
"I wasn''t talking to you." The dragon looked to want to consider challenging that before her eyes traveled to Mawile''s expectant eyes. "Wait your turn. We''re hearing from Flygon now."
The green Pokemon was remarkably red as he tried to look anywhere but Gabite''s or Tanya''s direction.
Tanya snapped her fingers, forcing his attention on her. When he didn''t immediately launch into an explanation, her good foot started tapping impatiently.
"Fly¡" He muttered, and one of the Vibrava, who escaped with minor injuries, tapped him on the side with encouragement. "Gon, fly, gon."
This was unfathomably stupid.
"Did you know about this?" Tanya addressed Gabite. "Why were you acting like your life was on the line?"
Gabite reared her head back, wincing as some of her wounds opened.
"Bite, gab, bite." She shook her head, retching into the ground before looking at Flygon. "Gabit, ite."
Flygon collapsed onto the dirt, writhing as if on death''s door.
It was appropriate, considering Tanya had a mind to finish the job.
"Brav, vibrava," the Vibrava tried to cheer up its boss. It had little effect.
Tanya pinched the bridge of her nose, looking up at the starry sky. What had she done to deserve this?
Well, she supposed it beat a trench.
"Okay, so you." She pointed towards Flygon, who was still wallowing in self-pity. "Had a secret crush on Gabite and thought the best plan of action was to jump her with your friends."
She acknowledged that humans could court in strange ways, but most of them grew out of the ''bullying'' angle at a young age.
How old even was Flygon? His evolution was allegedly one of the triggers for him to seek out Gabite, so it must have been recent. But she really didn''t know enough about the life cycle of the Flygon line to make a determination.
"Brava, vib." One of the Vibrava confirmed the side of the story for their boss before elaborating further. "Brav, vibra."
It might have been an excuse, but if Mawile''s Taunt really had goaded them into committing far more than they planned for, then some of the fault lay on her side.
Flygon could have also simply flown away, leaving his underlings for dead. Instead, he''d returned and begged clemency for them. Albeit, far more whiney than she thought necessary. She didn''t appreciate her jacket being covered in snot.
All things considered, he was still a moron in her book.
He wasn''t alone in there either.
"And you," Tanya focused back on their guide. "Thought this was what? A beating and loss of reputation."
The dragon nodded gravely.
Tanya stalked toward it. Now that her adrenaline was fading, she knew her ankle to be in a less than optimal state. She''d have to bandage and assess the damage after this.
"Next time," Tanya warned through grit teeth. "You act like it''s life and death; it better be life or death. And I swear, if you say they''re the same, I''ll ship you to Garchomp piece by piece. If you have the option of saving your hide or getting a medal, you save your hide every time. Got it?"
Honor or pride was nowhere near the value of life. They were incomparable. Although she''d known her fair share of idiots who thought they were. Perhaps that''s what had gotten her so riled up.
Her eyes held Gabite''s, daring for the dragon to speak in defiance. The Pokemon lowered its snout in what Tanya took as an act of submission.
Good.
She was going to have to extort more concessions out of Garchomp the next time they met. Babysitting was not on her list of to-dos, and she certainly wasn''t doing it for free.
Flygon stirred. He reached his full height and puffed out his chest before addressing her with indignation.
"Gon, fly, gon!"
Was this imbecile serious?
She was about to order Mawile and Mimikyu to teach this lizard a lesson when a knife slammed into its foot, earning a yelp.
"Enough," she ordered. It was by far the least of its injuries. Flygon looked at her unhappily and she continued. "If you attack in force, you cannot blame me for responding in kind. You can''t expect me to know you didn''t mean it." She spat the words.
He was lucky they were all still breathing.
"Bite¡" Gabite muttered, and Tanya zoned in on the dragon, who suddenly found the ground very interesting.
"Too far?" She was beginning to think she hadn''t gone far enough. "I saw an upcoming threat and moved to neutralize it before it could bring harm to my team."
After all, she needed their help if there was any hope of tackling the Team Flare problem.
"You two." She moved her eyes between the pair of dragons. "Need to grow up. The world isn''t as peaceful as you think."
They shared a look between themselves. There looked to be a silent conversation between the two, but that wasn''t Tanya''s concern.
"We''re moving out," she announced to the group. "Gabite, lead us to the nearest place we can rest. After that, we can see to your injuries."
They didn''t look too serious, but they would have to be treated.
Flygon began to slink away, carrying the two more injured members of his party before starting to levitate in the air.
"Where do you think you''re going?" Tanya''s words caused his ascent to freeze. "I didn''t say you could go."
With the trouble he gave her, she was getting some work out of him.
The sun peaked over the horizon, indicating a new day was at hand.
"Stop moving so much," Tanya berated the squirming Pokemon. "It''s making it hard to apply."
They were in a carved-out cave, having made their way here via Air-Flygon.
Given her team''s, mainly Mawile''s, lack of foresight in getting rest the day before, she opted to just spend the rest of the night letting them recuperate.
The watch shifts had to be adjusted to cover for their irresponsible members, and she spent much of the night keeping a wary eye on Flygon and his pack.
The thought of dealing with them permanently came to mind, but she was hampered by social conventions. Not that she hadn''t tried to subtly float the idea with Gabite.
With her limited medical supplies, Carbink had been seen to the night before. The potions she''d stolen from that Flare grunt who suffered an accidental fall were not as effective as she''d liked.
It was a problem she knew would come up eventually. She''d tried to source more from the pawnshop, but that was one of the few areas where the man was lacking. Apparently, they were heavily regulated by the league. The shopkeeper did receive shipments of them, but they sold out quickly with the below-market prices he liked to set.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Fortunately, Pokeballs worked well for keeping injuries from worsening. Carbink was in no danger; it just meant it would be better to have him sit inside until she secured him more treatment.
Mawile was her current problem.
"Don''t hide your injuries," she chided while applying what was left of her potions. "These are just bruises, but I need to know in case it turns out to be something worse."
The stubborn Pokemon had hidden them behind her coat. She''d be fine soon enough, but this was the sort of thing you didn''t hide from your commanding officer. If any of her team were not operating at full combat ability, she would have to plan around it.
"I didn''t hear an okay."
Tanya applied more pressure than she should have, receiving a satisfying wince in return.
"Ma, ma," the Pokemon said while rolling her eyes.
Humph.
She was lucky she was so valuable.
''Mama? Check?''
A sense of pride was accompanied by it, and she turned to the source.
Ralts stood with a smile on her face and a needle in her hand. Behind her, attempting to make itself as small as possible, was one of the Vibrava.
Tanya walked over stiffly, her foot having an improvised brace. She made sure not to show any discomfort and stopped in front of the Pokemon.
Placing a hand on Ralts, she stroked her hair while looking at the new stitches adorning the slashed wing.
Textbook work.
"Good work, Ralts," she complimented on a job well done. That type of skill would be useful if any of them received similar injuries. It was a bit of a missed opportunity to only have two of them to practice on, but she couldn''t just go slashing Pokemon for more training dummies. "We''ll have to see about getting anesthetics or numbing agents. Those might be easier to find."
Ralts had operated without either. Tanya supposed the Vibrava deserved some praise for remaining so still; even now it looked to barely be breathing.
Deciding a verbal compliment was too much for one of the ones responsible for this mess, she simply gave it a firm nod before moving her gaze to the last patient.
Well, former patient. Gabite had recovered with startling ease. It made her suspect something else was at play, but the Pokemon claimed ignorance.
"Gon?"
Right, she knew she was forgetting something. The chief idiot of the day, Flygon. He sported his fair share of ugly bruises, but he''d have to recover on his own.
"I''ll need your cooperation to get closer to the city. After that, you and your underlings can go."
It was exceedingly generous on her part, but the Pokemon did make a good transport. That alone was enough to tempt her into recruiting him.
Then she''d remembered he was a dragon. Not only would the cost of feed skyrocket, but he was likely to cause more trouble than even Mawile.
That made it a flat no. Though she did not rule out conscripting him for transport in the future.
Tanya''s gaze turned to the horizon. It was the same rugged terrain as far as she could see, but she knew Lumiose City sat just beyond, having seen the lights the night before.
"Did you bury it?" Tanya asked Gabite.
"Ite." She pointed North, and Tanya nodded.
With their illicit goods safely tucked away, it was time to assess the damage.
She set herself down against one of the cave''s walls, right next to Mimikyu. Ralts soon wormed her way onto her lap, and with trepidation, she turned on her phone.
There was no frantic buzzing as messages poured in, which gave her some relief. Though part of that was because she had long since muted Marie. She''d have to undo that, but for now, she typed in Coumarine.
It did not take long to find a recently posted piece, and her eyes absorbed it ravenously.
Two nights ago, our peaceful seaside paradise was rocked with an outrageous display. The Meurice, famous for being the first luxury hotel in Coumarine, was engulfed in a raging inferno that saw two floors of the controversial landmark heavily damaged. Thankfully, due to the timely intervention of our brave first responders, no humans or Pokemon were harmed in the blaze.
The same could not be said for those who attempted to bring the culprit into custody. Our sources refused to comment on the severity of injuries, but they have confirmed nearly a quarter of the Coumarine Police Department were admitted, throwing the beleaguered Pokemon Center into chaos.
Who, or what, were they chasing? That, dear readers, is the million PokeDollar question. We here at the Coumarine Gazette have worked tirelessly the past couple of days to bring you the answers our fine supporters deserve, but prepare yourself for the truth is as clear as a Grimer''s outhouse.
What we know for certain is the existence of two assailants. One of which is, allegedly, responsible for the fire and attempted murder of a visiting businessman whose identity will be concealed for privacy reasons.
Yes, you read that correctly; a man was violently thrown out of the twelfth floor. While it is possible for him to have survived the fall, albeit with injuries, we believe the intentions of the assailant to be anything but benign.
Fortunately, recently promoted Ace Trainer Veronica was on the scene to rescue the victim.
The culprit then walked out of the shattered window and plummeted to the street below, destroying part of the building''s iconic facade on their descent.
After landing, they then disregarded a provocation from an overeager Blastoise and fled the scene on foot.
Due to the lack of cooperation from our local officers, the following is not confirmed, but we believe their accomplice managed to steal a Courmarine PD motorcycle and then rendezvous with the attempted murderer.
In a shocking demonstration of poor judgment, local officers determined the best course of action was to chase the pair through the busy streets, endangering the property and lives of citizens. This risky behavior proved fruitless, as the entirety of the pursuit was summarily dealt with in one massive attack of unknown origin.
Local observers noted an increase in the volume of flying-type Pokemon in the skies preceding the event, but this has been debated, with one citizen going as far as to say, "The birds aren''t real."
Clarifications to that statement were not received.
At this time, both individuals are at large. Our local Officer Jenny had this to say: "We are doing everything in our power to bring the perpetrators to justice. League officials have been informed of the nature of the crime, and we are reaching out to our colleagues in the Ranger department to search the outskirts of the city for any sign of the crimminal activity. Should you have any information, we urge you to contact your local station."
She refused any further questions as to the embarrassment that was her department''s performance.
When our reporters requested a description of both assailants, they were unhelpfully informed that it was still being collated.
Unsatisfied with that response, we have used all resources available to us to better inform and protect the public of this new danger.
Based on interviews with multiple witnesses and stills from bystander footage, we have confirmed both assailants to be short in stature. We can also assert that the attempted murderer possesses either purple or blue eyes. Unfortunately, due to this being an act of premeditation, they took great care in hiding their other features.
With the facts laid bare, we would like to offer some speculation as to what brought on this act of extreme violence.
In our humble opinion, this was not a random event.
Terrorism has found its way to Kalos.
We recognize some may call this sensationalism, but allow us to plead our case. Until now, we have yet to reveal a key detail of the case.
This was partially a theft. What was stolen, you may ask? A priceless artifact? A fossil of unknown origin? A Mega Stone?
No.
It was a Gible.
The Ground/Dragon type dragon is certainly prized among trainers, but these were both highly trained individuals.
The driver alone stunned onlookers with their tremendous skill, with observers all the way in Paldea complimenting their motor skills. Should they have wished to purchase a Gible through legal or illegal means, we have no doubt they could have accomplished such.
So why? Let''s review.
The location, the Meurice, was purposely set ablaze and then further defaced in front of countless onlookers.
The target, a visiting businessman, was callously thrown at over a hundred feet.
The theft, a Gible, was immediately displayed to evacuees on the street.
The escape, done on a police bike, covered half the city before the assailants decided to deal with their pursuers.
With all this fanfare, we think it clear that this was a blatant provocation to the citizens of Kalos and the league''s inability to defend them.
These disgruntled actors sought to sow fear among us, showing that even our most protected are vulnerable to attack. Their true goal? To destabilize Kalos and implement their, no doubt, deranged ideology.
We urge our readers to keep a level head and look at these events as they are¡ªthe actions of lone radicals.
As an aside, harsh criticism has been leveled against Veronica for failing to personally apprehend the culprit, instead only sending her Skarmory, who is now in the intensive care unit. After reviewing the events, we here at the Gazette would like to express our support for her actions and decry any calls for her promotion to be re-evaluated. It is our opinion that prioritizing the evacuation of the guest and staff to have been the mark of a mature trainer. We would also like to highlight the impressive restraint Skarmory showed; apart from a single Air Slash released early on, he left the work to the police and only interfered again when the culprits were out of inhabited areas. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Editors Note: In response to our story, a source in the department revealed that a boot print was recovered from the scene.
Tanya looked mournfully at her feet. Her boots, her hard-earned boots¡ªwas she going to have to lose them?
And terrorist? How was she a terrorist?!? She didn''t give a crap about any of that stuff!
She was just trying to expose Team Flare. When did she become some crazy political activist?
Sure, the government could do with some downsizing, but she wasn''t looking to topple anything!
There was movement as Ralts raised a hand. A piece of rock floated over, stopping at her foot and beginning to rub up and down.
Tanya blinked; that was poor form on her part. While she was there complaining about the injustice of the world, Ralts was already taking action by sanding down her boot treads.
She focused on the good news; it didn''t sound like they had a positive ID on her. That meant, with some caution, they could visit the city and be lost in a sea of faces.
First, she''d see to Carbink''s health, and after? She was visiting that damn cafe again.
Their operation in Coumarine, despite devolving into an utter farce, had shown that the majority of her team was able to act in a professional manner. With those assurances, she was willing to at least entertain the idea of moving on, what was likely, the center of Team Flare''s Lumiose City operations.
Through her hazy memories, before she fell into unconsciousness from the spiked coffee, there was far more construction equipment there than any usual shop would require.
With the way their other facility was built, she was betting on there being a subterranean level.
If she could breach it, she might finally hit paydirt.
She just needed to make sure not to do anything that might cause them to relocate. Based on the article, she was hopeful Gible''s ''theft'' and her supposed ideology would be a big enough red herring to throw them off her scent.
All she had to do was make sure they didn''t start a fuss in the city.
Footsteps stopped in front of her, and her head slowly craned up to see Gabite. She stood straight, staring at Tanya with determination in her eyes.
"Bite, ga, bite."
Tanya''s heart sank. Gabite wanted to go into the city.
Why her?
Side Story: Dread it, run from it...
Marie Beaumont was not your everyday girl from Coumarine.
She was going places.
Just not at this exact moment, as she was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through her binder one page at a time.
It had taken months and months of talking to her Bro and trawling through online forums, but every detail of her journey was mapped out and ready to go.
All she had to do was wait a couple of months, and she''d take Kalos by storm.
Then everyone would want to be her friend, right? I mean, who wouldn''t want to be best friends with rookie of the year?
It would no longer be Nosy Marie, clingy Marie, or know-it-all Marie.
No, it would be ace trainer Marie!
She knew it would be a lot of work; even Bro didn''t make it that far. But she was much smarter and cooler than him.
He didn''t even prepare for his journey! Papa just gave him a Rhydon one day and the next¡poof.
What a loser.
Where was she?
Oh, right!
She was going to kick ass, collect badges, and win the conference. Well, the junior bracket at least.
Or¡that had been the plan.
Things changed. As Bro said, everyone had a plan until a Primeape punched them in the face.
As super awesome of a plan hers was, she needed to let it go.
Not all of it. She''d still reference it, but there were more important things now.
Like helping her friend.
Tanya was weird.
And that was coming from totally-her-friend Marie. But like, weird in a good way. Like totally secretly a badass weird.
I mean, how else do you describe someone who tamed a wild pack of Garchomps?!
A warning would have been nice, but she totally got why Tanya hadn''t said anything. In her place, Marie would have for sure done the same. You couldn''t just give away that reveal; it was way too cool to let go.
Now, she could admit to being a teensy, itsy, bitsy upset that Tanya hadn''t gotten her help for rescuing Gible. But the girl was just trying to protect her. After all, she was technically a criminal.
Marie had always been a stickler for the rules. She still was, but sometimes the rules were wrong?
No, they definitely were.
How was it fair that a tourist gets to come, buy a Gible, and then everyone else suffers? Lots of people and Pok¨¦mon got hurt by Garchomp, who was just trying to find her baby.
It wasn''t fair!
And, to make it worse, the person who fixed it gets in trouble? No way! Marie wouldn''t allow that!
Stolen story; please report.
But as much as she wanted to tell everyone the truth, she couldn''t.
Because adults were stupid.
They wouldn''t get it. Some rich guy was hurt, and he mattered so much more than the rest of them.
Bleghhh.
But that didn''t mean she couldn''t help. Tanya had been worried. Super worried. Marie got the sense this wasn''t the first time she had done something like this.
People were after her. Maybe even her own family? I mean, it was pretty obvious the girl didn''t know how the world worked. Marie tried to pretend she didn''t notice, but there were so many tiny things that just yelled at you that Tanya didn''t get basic things.
Who didn''t know how to wash their hair?
Rich people.
Rich people didn''t know how to wash their hair.
Marie could see her friend being locked away in some big fancy house all her life, having fancy pancy people do everything for her.
But Marie liked to think she knew Tanya pretty well now, and the girl she knew would never be satisfied living like that.
She had that non-nonsense, do everything yourself attitude. Tanya must have been driven crazy by that type of pampering and run away.
Yes. That must be it.
Then, somewhere along the way, she found a wrong. Tanya being Tanya, there was no way she''d just let it be. She would fix it, no matter what!
She was like a real-life hero! And not like those weird people playing dress up.
Marie shut the binder.
It had been made by a child.
And Marie wasn''t a little kid anymore. She''d be eleven soon enough!
Which meant she was old enough to help her friend. But how? Bro always said all problems could be handled by a big enough Hyper Beam, but he was an idiot.
Marie couldn''t be a criminal. She just couldn''t. It was like Pansear evolving into a Simisage. It just didn''t happen.
The only thing she was good at was following the rules¡ªthe ones that were wrong sometimes.
That''s it!
While her friend attacked from the outside. Marie would attack from within!
A, what was it? Uhhh, she knew this one. A pliar movement? No, pincer. A pincer movement.
But she couldn''t do it alone; she needed help.
Luckily. She knew just where to get it.
Hey Bonsly? What do you say we go find Garchomp again?"
It would be dangerous sneaking so far into the route, but she was a trainer! She passed her exam and everything.
"Bon?" Her partner shook her head frantically. "Bons, bonsly!"
Hmmm, that was probably a yes.
Well, she could pretend it was.
Chapter 27
Hair tucked under a baseball cap, torso adorned with a simple blue hoodie, and legs sporting green shorts, Tanya felt confident in her appearance as your everyday beginner trainer.
The pack on her back lent itself to that, as most aspiring newcomers sported one.
She was even still wearing her boots, confident that the lack of treads would now prevent her from being linked to any of her previous activities. It would be far from damming evidence against her, but with the police specifically taking note of it, she''d be a fool not to take some precautions.
There was one small hitch in her disguise.
"Stop it," she harshly whispered at her unwanted traveling companion. "You''re attracting attention."
In Gabite''s defense, it was difficult for the dragon-type Pokemon not to draw some eyes.
In Tanya''s defense, if she had her way, the Pokemon would be heading back home to Garchomp.
Confronted with such a ludicrous request, Tanya had naturally tried to talk reason to the dragon.
That was her first mistake.
The words dragon and reason were not often used with each other. At least, not in the sense she would prefer.
Her second mistake was thinking that extracting a promise for Gabite to be on her best behavior was an acceptable compromise.
''Best'', as she should have known, was entirely subjective.
The only good thing to come out of it was having a pack mule for the extra bags.
"Bit, gab," the Pokemon responded, her eyes still darting back and forth. "Gab¡"
Tanya followed her gaze.
Arriving at the city itself had been, thankfully, a dull affair. They''d taken Flygon up until they were within visual range and then made the rest of the journey on foot.
Bypassing the official entrance had proven trivial; it functioned more as a rest stop than anything. They''d simply kept walking until they hit civilization.
The street they''d found themselves on was wide and straight. It was made of well-maintained brick and had sidewalks on either side. Streetlights were placed evenly, which would provide a degree of security for anyone traveling at that time of day.
Most of the buildings they passed looked to be of mixed-use, with commercial properties on the ground floor and residential above. The area they were in now looked to favor eateries, as she''d passed several cafes and bakeries.
As for what Gabite was currently growling at? That would be one of the couples enjoying breakfast at some tables set up outside of a cafe. More specifically, it would be the Swinub resting at their feet.
It was snoring away and clearly unconcerned at their presence.
"Ignore it," Tanya muttered with annoyance, keeping her voice low while looking ahead. "It''s not a threat."
That wasn''t strictly correct. Every Pokemon could pose a threat. However, through her time in Coumarine, she was beginning to get a sense of how to judge them. Size remained unimportant, but evolution lines were telling. While a first stage evolution could pose problems, she was confident in her personal ability to deal with most of them if it came down to it.
"Bite, ga," Gabite relented while offering her thoughts.
Tanya was beaten to a response by the Pokemon by her side.
"Ra, alts, ralts," Ralts spoke definitively, raising her voice more than Tanya thought necessary.
Fortunately, the target of her derisive comments hadn''t budged.
She looked down at the green-haired Pokemon whose hand she held. Ralts'' other hand was holding Mimikyu for now.
Pink eyes strayed up to her, not needing confirmation and yet seeking it all the same.
"That''s right," Tanya responded in a more sedate tone. "But be mindful of who can overhear us."
She finished, squeezing the hand for a second as a rebuke to the careless comments.
Ralts squeezed back, a feeling of contentment coming off her.
Tanya didn''t push it any further. She wasn''t sure if Swinub deserved it, but in general, Ralts was correct.
Pokemon had great potential, and most of them were content to waste it. Personally? At this point, she was grateful for their laziness. She would not want to live in a world where every Pokemon struggled to reach their full strength; that sounded far too dangerous for her taste.
Gabite''s head snapped behind them. Tanya once again checked what had attracted the Pokemon''s interest, only to see it was a taxi this time.
Taking a wild Pokemon into the city¡ªreally, what the hell was she thinking?
"It''s a car. Calm down," she ordered, more exasperated than she should be.
Tanya''s eyes moved to Ralts. The Pokemon was taking even steps; her eyes held straight forward. It wasn''t the first time today she''d noticed that Ralts seemed to be having an off-and-on sidebar with the dragon Pokemon. The feeling was fleeting and difficult to place, but with their hands joined, she noticed the slight shift every time it happened.
What they were discussing was a mystery to her, but whatever it was seemed to mollify the dragon.
With that potential incident averted, Tanya pulled out her phone, double-checking their progress. She gave a silent message of thanks to the designers of this metropolis. As far as city shapes went, you couldn''t do much better than a circle.
It was the most efficient use of space, and dividing it up neatly into grids made navigating it child''s play.
They approached the ''end'' of the street. It was only the end for cars that were forced to turn right. The path for pedestrians could continue through the lush park ahead.
Tanya directed her group left, keeping on the sidewalk. With the corner turned, most of the cafes were left by the wayside, and replaced with a variety of shops.
She made mental notes of what they passed, but none of it was of particular interest. Her nose crinkled as they trodded forward.
"Bite," the Pokemon huffed, exhaling sharply through her nose while shaking her head. "Gab."
The Pokemon clawed at her face, and Tanya rolled her eyes at the overreaction.
"It''s garbage. Get over it."
That they only now ran into it spoke well of the trash collection service.
Tanya glanced at the sidewalk ahead of them and reached down, hoisting Ralts up so that she was secured by her left arm. Tiny arms wrapped around her to secure the Pokemon''s place.
"Watch your step," she warned without slowing.
Gum, cigarette butts, and puddles of questionable origin were scattered ahead.
Gabite''s lips pulled back, but inanimate objects were not so easily threatened.
Ignoring the Pokemon''s reluctance, Tanya trudged on. They turned down another street, and she was questioning the validity of these directions when she spotted a signpost overhead.
''Melody''s Remedies,'' it read.
Good, so it was still here. Their online presence was almost nonexistent, so she couldn''t be sure.
She sped up slightly and came to a stop in front of the storefront. Compared to the ones she passed along the way, it was rather imposing. Its wood facade jutted out into the sidewalk, looking like an M with the entrance in the depressed middle. It was painted dark green. Parts of it were flaking, but she noticed several spots where it had been reapplied, indicating some level of maintenance. Through the glass panels, she could see all manner of pots and vases.
What she did not see was customers, which sent her guard up. Tanya glanced around the street, noticing multiple shuttered fronts in the area. Perhaps they were late openers? Maybe they were bars and such.
There were some vans and work trucks that had rolled on by, but none of them had stopped here.
A look at their sidewalks painted a stronger picture, as they were littered with the same trash she''d seen along the way and had overgrown weeds peaking through the cracks.
The only exception to that was the bit she was standing on, having very clearly been pressure-washed recently.
"Don''t touch anything," Tanya sent a warning towards Gabite before setting Ralts down. "Let me know if there''s any trouble."
With a breath, she pushed the door open, eliciting a small ding.
The smell hit her first, being reminiscent of fresh grass clippings. Her eyes scanned the interior.
Cramped was the first thought that came to mind. It meant it would be difficult to maneuver if needed.
Four long wooden tables stretched the length of the shop. The two on the outskirts were laden with plants of all shapes and sizes, some stretching toward the ceiling and others barely cresting their pot rim. The other tables had boxes and pots placed side by side; she spotted place cards indicating what was held inside.
Looking up, she could see a number of planters hanging above. The more concerning thing was the Butterfree hovering there, watching them with its compact eyes.
There was movement along the leftmost table, and she soon realized one of the ''plants'' was a Vileplume. A dangerous oversight.
"Plume?" It questioned with a tilt of its head before yelling toward the back. "Vile, vile!"
Tanya spotted a counter back there, with a door leading further inside. There was the shuffling of feet and a clacking sound. A puff of white hair appeared. She tracked it as it neared, not being able to see the owner due to the tables blocking her line of sight.
"Oh, hello, dearie," an old yet cheery voice sounded.
Soon she laid eyes on who she presumed was the shopkeeper. It was a woman at an advanced age, being barely taller than Tanya on account of her hunched back. Her skin was tan and saggy, sporting several liver spots. She wore a white blouse with a long green skirt that dragged along the wooden floor.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
In her hand was a cane, the source of the clacking.
"And who do we have here?" Tanya didn''t get a chance to respond, the woman''s pallid blue eyes moving to Ralts. "Well, aren''t you just the cutest little thing?"
Ralts bristled, her hold tightening.
''Danger.'' Her voice echoed in Tanya''s head.
She looked down at the Pokemon, seeing the wary look on her face.
"I could just pinch those little cheeks; oh yes, I could," the woman said in a babying tone.
Her thin fingers reached out in a pinching motion.
''Mama, danger.'' Ralts conveyed with a sense of urgency, despite holding her ground.
"Please excuse Ralts," Tanya interjected, taking a step forward. "She is young and easily frightened by new people."
Tanya ignored the indignation coming over. She didn''t think the Pokemon would be scared about overly affectionate old people, but that was what the facts pointed to.
"No worries, dearie." She pulled back, resting both hands on the cane. "I must have come on too strong. I couldn''t help myself; she looks so precious carrying around that cute doll of hers."
That doll could eviscerate everyone in this room, dragon included.
Said dragon was having a staring contest with Vileplume.
"And look at our big, strong dragon here, escorting these little cuties for your trainer today. I''m sure they would be proud of how well you''re protecting them."
What?
Protect her? Tanya was the one babysitting.
She bit back an instant correction. It was an acceptable cover.
"That''s right," Tanya lied seamlessly. "Gabite here belongs to an aunt of mine; she''s helping me do my shopping today. She''s well-behaved." Tanya stressed that last word, trying to remind the Pokemon of her promise. "But she''s not great at listening to anyone besides Auntie."
Tanya thought it was a smooth explanation. She''d have to remind herself to tell it to Gabite, who seemed lost in a world where only she and Vileplume existed.
"How nice," the old lady nodded congenially. "Now, what are we looking for today?"
She smoothed her skirt, and to Tanya''s relief, took on a more professional demeanor
"Healing tonics, specifically for a Rock Type Pokemon, but I''m interested in more general solutions as well."
Herbal medicine was not her preference, but Gurkinn had shown they were effective.
"Hmm," the woman turned and started walking toward a section of the table on her right. "What type of injuries are we looking at today?"
That was a jump of logic on her part, but she supposed it was a reasonable one.
"Cracks," Tanya stated. "I applied a standard potion, but its effects were lackluster."
The woman tutted, her hand hovering over a box before shaking her head and moving toward another.
"Silly hooey those things are. In my time, everything you needed could be found between these walls." She settled on a box and slid it off the table. "It brings warmth to this old heart that some of you young people still appreciate the original remedies."
Tanya appreciated that they were not regulated. It was a double-edged sword really, as the lack of accreditation meant it might not be a quality product.
But then again, she didn''t exactly trust the government to set appropriate standards.
The woman opened the box, and one of the foulest smells she''d ever experienced wafted out.
"This here will fix your friend up. Melody''s guarantee," she said with a smile.
In spite of the smell, Tanya leaned forward. The box was small, only a few inches in diameter. Inside was a powder of some sort.
There was a bang behind her, and to her horror, she saw Gabite had backed up into one of the tables, knocking many of its contents on the ground.
"Outside," Tanya yelled, pointing to the door. "Leave the sack and wait outside."
The Pokemon was still waving its snout around when her words registered, and she had the gall to look offended.
"Gab-"
"Don''t give me that," Tanya interrupted. "Look at the mess you made." She waved a hand toward the ground, now littered with upturned boxes and cracked porcelain. She saw an argument building and ended it preemptively. "Ralts here didn''t budge at the smell."
The Pokemon''s head swung between both of them before leaving in a huff.
Tanya looked at the damage; it looked expensive.
A melodic laugh filled the store.
"Vileplume, be a dear and see to that, please," the woman ordered her Pokemon, who hopped down without complaint, beginning to sort through the items on the floor. "Don''t trouble yourself over that, deerie. Pottery is cheap, and my herbs are not the fragile specimens you''d find in a florist shop; they can take a beating."
That was generous. Perhaps too much so, she cautiously accepted the out for now.
"Thank you for your understanding," Tanay said before going back to the matter at hand. "Do you mind if I sample a piece?"
She gestured toward the box the woman still held.
"Go right ahead, dearie."
With her permission, Tanya released Carbink.
"Bink?" The Pokemon questioned, turning slowly. "Bin, car, bin."
He sent hellos to all the strangers before turning to her curiously.
Tanya frowned at the cracks and fissures adorning his body; they didn''t look right.
She took a finger and carefully scooped some of the powder. drawing a line on one of the shallow scuffs on him.
Nothing changed visually, but that was expected. Medicine wasn''t a miracle; it took time to take effect.
Tanya placed a hand on Carbink, pretending she was comforting him. Her aura brushed up against him, and for a moment she felt something more.
It was faint, ethereal. Every time she tried to grab hold of the feeling, it slipped away.
She met Carbink''s crystal eyes. Blue beads blinked back at her, and she found herself wondering how much was actually going on behind them.
Just when she was about to pass off the effects of the powder as inconclusive, her breath hitched as she felt a sharp pain in her side. Accustomed to such things, she stopped herself from any further reactions.
Her eyes flicked to Ralts for a moment, whose horn was glowing.
If her guess was right, the Pokemon had just formed a bridge between them, allowing more than just thoughts to pass through.
Tanya focused on the pain that was not hers. For all his failings, Carbink was a tough one. She''d known many others who would buckle under this level of discomfort.
The connection was severed, and Ralts seemed to struggle to remain standing. She held up Mimikyu to Tanya, who took him before returning the Pokemon.
That must have been taxing. However, it did allow her to determine the medicine was aiding the healing process.
"Bedtime already?" The woman asked with a knowing tone. "The little one stayed up late? Didn''t she?"
Strange. Tanya expected her subtle use of aura to go undetected, but Ralts had clearly done something there.
It dawned on her a moment later. The woman had called Mimikyu cute. She must have rather poor eyesight.
"Yes, she''s rather adamant about staying up with me," Tanya acknowledged, sprinkling some truth.
Her eyes went to the box again, noticing the lack of prices. A premium was expected, given the handcrafted nature of them. That being said, she hoped to not be completely drained here.
"Something wrong, dearie?" She asked in a kindly tone.
Gabite, despite being a clumsy oaf, did present a ready explanation for what came next.
"Are you open to bartering?"
Strictly speaking, a direct exchange of goods without currency being involved tended to be disadvantageous. More often than not, it led to inefficiencies and hampered the transfer of goods, stalling economic progress.
However, current circumstances dictated she attempt to participate in this practice. It was a temporary thing. One day she''d be able to do her dealings legally and in the open.
"Open? Why I dare say it is my preferred way of doing business." That did further to explain why the shop was doing so poorly. Had she been successful, she would have relocated to a more prosperous local. "What do you have in mind? Did you discover some rare herbs in your travels?"
Tanya paced over to the burlap sack she had Gabite leave behind. She angled the lip of it to hide the majority of its contents and took a handful of the scales. She returned and displayed them to the woman.
They weren''t the true Dragon Scales, those she''d take more care into peddling.
"I''m told these can be used in the production of medicine."
The woman set the box back on the counter and put her open palm out.
"May I?" Tanya obliged, depositing them by tilting her hand over the woman''s. "I should have known with that Gabite here. Still, quite a find, quite a find."
She muttered the last, her other hand sorting them in her palm.
"Are they acceptable?" Tanya asked after a period of silence.
The woman''s eyes flicked up at her, and then to the bag.
Tanya did not like that and held Mimikyu close.
"Their quality has large variations; it''s almost as if they each come from a separate Pokemon." Did that mean they were no good? "But if we boil them in a big pot, that will even out the discrepancies."
That made some amount of sense.
"If possible, are you willing to let me observe its processing?"
Asking that was a risk, as it was her understanding that tradespeople liked to guard their secrets. However, one of her goals was self-sufficiency, and she was amenable to paying for it.
"Willing?" The woman tapped her cane against the ground, a beaming and disconcerting smile on her face. "I''d like nothing more than to share my craft. Too many these days rely on what PokeMarts peddle. Why, when I was a young girl, every trainer knew the basic formula for energy powder."
Promising words, yet the withered face turned crestfallen.
"Sadly, I happen to be missing one of the key ingredients for these." Her face perked up, a bit too quickly for Tanya''s liking. "But they grow on Route 5, you wouldn''t be willing to take a trip down there and pick them for me, would you?"
That sounded artificial, too set up.
By now, multiple alarm bells had been rung in Tanya''s head. Something about this woman wasn''t right.
The question was if she was worth whatever hassle she brought.
A tentative yes was formed. She could deal with some eccentricities if it meant her objectives were met.
"I might be, although I will need the medicine already discussed prior."
If the woman noticed what Tanya was doing, she didn''t give any indication, and she nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course, of course, sweetie. We want your team in full health after all." She pushed the box towards her, along with the scales Tanya had lent her for examination. "Now stay right here, and I''ll be right back."
The woman hurried away, far quicker than she had been when first arriving.
Tanya''s eyes strayed toward the door. Had she been a criminal, she would have walked out right there, never to return.
"Watch her closely," she whispered to Mimikyu.
Not content to wait idle, she applied the rest of the powder to Carbink, who took it without complaint.
She held out the ball again, seeing his ears sag.
"Rest for now. It''s for the best until you''re fully healed."
"Bin," his disagreement was noted but discarded, and he was recalled shortly after.
Now alone aside from Mimikyu, Tanya inspected the other Pokemon again. Vileplum was happily cleaning away, humming a tune while doing it. As for Butterfree? She''d almost forgotten about it. Its presence was faint, and it blended into the scenery.
They both seemed well trained.
"Sorry, deary," the woman called, returning with a tome of some kind. "It took some digging."
A part of the table was roughly cleared aside, proving her early assertion on the hardiness of her goods, and the book landed with a thump.
"Let''s see here." She opened it with a creak, flipping through yellow pages. "Ah, here we are."
She beckoned Tanya, who kept a respectable distance while peering at the page.
It was a picture of a purple daisy. The text claimed it was a Bugwort.
"You have one of those fancy new phones, right? Take a picture then, sweetie; this tells you all about how to find them."
The nicknames were getting tiresome, but she obliged and snapped a photo of the page.
"Is that all?"
It sounded like a simple enough task, even if she was in no rush to complete it.
"Young people, always in a hurry," the woman shook her head, the gray hair bouncing about. "Yes, that''s all I need. This is an older recipe, and so an older ingredient is needed."
Some of that was lost on her, but Tanya was all too willing to leave for now.
"Understood, thank you." She gave the required platitudes and hauled the sack up with one hand, carrying it toward the door. "I''ll be going now."
The woman gave her a gentle wave, and Tanya stepped out into the street.
The door shut behind her, and it took a second for her to process.
"Where in the hell is that stupid dragon?" Her grip on the sack tightened. She looked down one end and then the other, confirming Gabite''s disappearance. "If she ran away with my loot, I''m going to have Mawile beat her to an inch of her life."
She wasn''t a tracker and the only one in her team that could be was tired. Should she take Ralts back out and try her luck?
Mimikyu shifted in her grasp and then leaped out. Without a word, he sped down the street. He was halfway down it when he turned to look at her expectantly.
Come to think of it, the Pokemon had followed them back to the cave. He must have a way of finding her.
Tanya jogged after him. He gave a small leap before turning down a hallway. She sped up, not liking losing sight of him.
Her gear jostled as she ran, making it difficult to maintain her balance.
Turning corner after corner, she finally caught up. She slowed and entered the dingy alley. Mimikyu lay prone on the floor.
There was no dragon.
"Did you lose her?" She asked while picking him up, brushing off the loose gravel that stuck to doll form.
"Mimi, kyu," the Pokemon said in a low voice, earning a look of confusion.
"We passed her? Why didn''t you say so then?"
A purple eye peaked out of one of the slits, winking at her.
Tanya decided that could mean nothing good and abruptly turned on her heel, ready to make sure she got as far as possible from here.
"Look what we got here, Lillian." A young man, maybe even a teen, swaggered to the mouth of the alley.
His steps were exaggerated, lifting each leg too high. Hands were in his ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket hung loosely over him. On his head was a ridiculous blue patch of hair. Not quite a mohawk but the intention seemed similar.
"Seems like a snot-nosed brat doesn''t know whose territory they''re sniffling on."
A woman of a similar age responded. She wore boots with large heels and yellow stockings. Her short shorts were frayed jeans and fastened with a belt. Black gloves adorned her hands, and she had a matching top, only it was smaller than Tanya thought it should be. Her Pokeball was attached to her neck, functioning as some sort of choker.
It was an odd choice, but given her hair was as ridiculous as her companions, it didn''t surprise her.
Seriously, that pink hair was a liability. It was divided into four braids, a pair hanging off of each side of her head. It arched as was well, held up by some ridiculous amount of product, no doubt.
The only saving grace was that it wasn''t red.
"Ha, damn straight." He pointed towards her and made a shooing motion. "Tell you what, kid, drop the bags and we''ll let you out of here in one piece."
Tanya looked at Mimikyu, her eye twitching.
Did he have to pick now to pull this shit?
"You''re fixing this," she demanded of the doll, who remained silent. Although she could feel a sense of amusement from him.
"Aww, look at that Faust," Lillian jeered, addressing her partner. "The little baby is asking her doll for help."
"Ha, ha," Faust responded. "I bet she''ll start bawling any second now."
"Yeah, just like this."
The woman balled her fists, shaking them in front of her eyes and miming tears for a few seconds before doubling over laughing.
She was soon joined by her compatriot.
Were these idiots serious?
Chapter 28
There were a variety of ways she could deal with the two in front of her.
Flight. It would be the simplest. If she broke out into a sprint, she found it difficult to believe they would have any chance of catching her.
Negotiation. She was rather adept at flattery and social manipulation, and they did not strike her as the most intelligent of individuals. It was possible she could talk her way out of this.
Fight. Physically, she was confident in having them beat. That advantage would only increase if she threw her Pokemon in the mix.
Tanya carefully considered what path forward would benefit her the most.
Flight would be a net zero impact, seeing her in the same position as she started. That did not sit right with her.
Negotiation had potential. Reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement was her preferred method of dealing with conflict. Tilted in her favor, of course.
Fighting had the possibility of spilling out of control. She was already being accused of terrorizing a city. Starting off her visit to the capital by tearing up an alley with a Pokemon battle would do nothing to help her case.
She took a mental step back, evaluating the situation as a whole.
Tanya did not exist in a vacuum, and any action she took would have ripple effects. In this case, leaving these two on the street would result in them inevitably accosting others.
Potentially¡ªno, likely actual children.
Being decidedly not a member of law enforcement, it was not her responsibility to deal with them.
However, strictly speaking, neither was Team Flare, and yet she pursued them all the same. So she had already established that certain activities, more commonly associated with violent crimminals, were acceptable should certain criteria be met.
What were the criteria?
For starters, ill intent directed at her. Something readily apparent here.
Then there had to be an incentive for her to act. The valuables these two possessed qualified, bare minimum they might be.
Finally, it had to be something the authorities were either unable or unwilling to act on. Given the brazenness of these two, she felt confident that was met as well.
Perhaps a mix of two and three then. Negotiation, but after establishing the hierarchy.
"Hey Faust." The girl recovered from her laughter first, wiping tears from her eyes. "I think we broke the brat."
The breaking would be on her part, but she wouldn''t go too far. These were low-level criminals, punks even. They weren''t crazed cultists, and therefore they did not have to be disposed of so completely. Not to mention doing so in a crowded and foreign city presented certain hurdles she was not yet ready to overcome.
Her eyes zeroed in on the girl''s choker.
Path decided; she held out the sack of scales.
"J-just take it," she forced a stutter in her voice and gave a sniffle for good measure. "I don''t want any trouble."
She could feel Mimikyu vibrate against her right side. He was enjoying this far too much.
"Now we''re getting somewhere," the boy nodded eagerly. "Seems your head is screwed on right after all."
He took a step forward, and Tanya matched it with one back.
"I''ll only give it to her." She gestured to the girl, Lillian.
Faust did not have a visible Pokeball, so he was not the priority in this instance.
"Shit, what difference does it make¡ªwhat the hell?"
He complained, rubbing his shoulder from where the girl had harshly elbowed it.
"Shut up and let me handle it."
The punk girl scoffed, passing her colleague, who muttered angrily under his breath.
"Alright, brat," the girl stopped within arm''s length of Tanya. Her left hand rested on her hip, and she began to lean forward, reaching out with her free hand. "Don''t forget the pack and-"
Tanya dropped the sack. Her hand clamped around the punk''s wrist, and she yanked the girl forward. Her forehead met the girl''s nose, and it resisted for a brief moment before cartilage gave way to bone.
That her aura was running through her certainly helped, but she wasn''t using moves against these idiots.
"What the fu-"
Tanya hurled Mimikyu towards Faust. The doll smashed into his face, causing him to take a few paces back.
Lillian reeled back, trying to free her wrist from Tanya''s grasp while her other hand went for her choker.
She was neither strong enough to free herself nor quick enough to beat Tanya to the Pokeball, and the former mage''s fist rammed into the girl''s throat, eliciting a sputter from the punk.
Her hand came away, Pokeball in palm, and she secured it in her pocket before kicking the girl''s shin and pulling her downward. She released her hold and stepped out of the way as the girl hit the floor.
"You little-"
Tanya slipped off her backpack, chucking it at the man who was knocked off his feet as a result of the impact. Her eyes scanned the ground, seeing Mimikyu lying discarded against a wall, presumably after being thrown there by Faust. She did not appreciate his commitment to the bit right now.
"I, can''t." The girl on the floor tried to recover, pushing herself up with her hands while struggling to breathe.
Tanya delivered a quick kick to her gut. It knocked the girl on her side, and she grasped at her stomach.
"That''s it!" The blue-haired man clambered to his feet with a look of indignation on his face. "You''re asking for-"
Tanya raced forward, using her momentum to slide feet first into a skid, performing a sliding leg sweep on the man.
Now behind him, she twisted her body upright and saw he had hit the floor face-first.
"Haunter!" He yelled from his prone position, anger and panic intermingled in his tone. "Do something!"
Haunter? She pivoted a foot back, searching for any signs of the alleged Pokemon. Just when she thought the wool had been pulled over her eyes, a shape emerged from one of the walls.
It was a floating purple head with spiky edges and two disembodied claws.
Damn, it must have been released prior to them entering the alley.
Tanya''s hand went for her knife but fell short of drawing it. Normal-type moves wouldn''t work, and those were the only ones she knew how to use.
She was about to bring out Mawile when she noticed Mimikyu missing from his prior location. That was a good sign? If he ditched her now, more than words would be said in the aftermath.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, she withheld from calling out Mawile. Throwing the Pokemon in a narrow alley and expecting it to remain intact after was a fool''s bet.
"Haunt..." The ghost type''s large eyes moved from their trainer to Tanya. It rubbed its eyes, looked at them again, and then erupted in laughter. "Ha, hau, haunt, haunter!"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
The Pokemon rolled back and forth in midair, and it took her a moment to process what she was seeing.
"What are you doing?" The man got to his feet and pointed a hand towards her. "Teach her a lesson already!"
Haunter stopped in its roll. Large eyes blinked once at the request and then turned to Tanya.
She tensed, wondering where the hell was Mimikyu when she realized the look in its eye didn''t scream hostility.
It didn''t utter a word, merely staring at her with a focused and almost expectant expression.
Purple fingers waved forward, almost as if nudging her toward the punk.
An absurd notion took hold within her, and she took an experimental step forward.
"Haunter, stop fooling around," Faust ordered, worry infecting his speech.
She took another step, and the Pokemon made no moves to intercede.
"Wait," the punk backed up, his eyes wide. "Don''t get any closer."
A flash of sympathy passed over her; it seemed she was not the only one with unreliable teammates.
The third step was taken, and the Pokemon''s body seemed to vibrate as it enthusiastically nodded up and down.
"Oh fuck," he managed to utter before she was on him once again.
His reaction speed was far too slow, and her uppercut sank into his stomach, lifting him up some before retracting.
He coughed before doubling over and leaving his breakfast on the ground.
"Hau, ha, hau!" It jeered, much like its trainer was doing moments ago. "Haunter, haunt!"
On the ghost Pokemon''s request, she swept his legs again, leaving him to fall into the mess he made.
"Fuck!" The girl, having recovered, yelled in a nasally voice. She stumbled to her feet and clutched her nose while addressing Tanya. "You fucking bitch! My nose is broken."
She didn''t react to the girl and instead focused on Haunter, or what was now behind him.
A claw snaked its way up from the limp doll. Tanya watched it with anticipation, knowing a Shadow Claw would be devastating to the ghost type.
It arched up, looming over the oblivious Haunter. Now in the perfect position for a downward strike, a single finger was formed and gently tapped on the Pokemon''s back.
"Haunt?" The Pokemon turned quickly, seeing only a patched-up Pikachu doll sitting innocently on the floor, the Shadow Claw having been retracted in the blink of an eye.
Haunter threw its hands up in a shrug before turning back to Tanya, who was growing irritated.
"You idiot, it''s the doll!"
The girl yelled a warning, but it was a second too late, and another Shadow Claw had already burst out, raking the Pokemon''s back and earning an eerie wail.
"HAUNNNTTTT!"
"Oh fuck this," Lillian muttered, looking at her downed comrade and his injured Pokemon. "I''m out!"
Tanya disagreed with that assessment, and one of her throwing knives found itself in her palm. The girl had gotten a few feet away when Tanya''s wrist flicked. Lillian tumbled down, her boot having been stabbed through.
"Haunter! Use Shadow Punch!"
That guy could still bark orders? Clearly, she hadn''t been as thorough as she should have been. Eager to rectify the issue, she kicked him in the kidneys.
She watched from the corner of her eye as Haunter curled a fist and sent it flying out. The Mimikyu he was attacking faded on contact with the fist.
Tanya scoffed while patting the man down. Mimikyu had already flanked the Pokemon, and if the scream she heard was any indication, he''d landed another attack.
Turning his pockets inside out, she found what she was looking for and held out the ball. With a click, any threat Haunter possessed was neutralized, and it was returned to its Pokeball.
"You can''t do that," the man got out between groans.
She grabbed him by the collar and roughly threw him against one of the alley walls. He slumped down, conscious but dazed.
The other looked to be trying to escape again. Tanya noted that the girl had learned her lesson and was attempting to do so quietly this time.
Not quickly though, as she hobbled away.
Tanya gave a look to Mimikyu.
"Bring her to me." The Pokemon was slow to act, and she followed up. "Stop pouting. You already had enough fun today."
She could sense his disagreement on that, but a shadow tendril reached out from him regardless.
It slithered across the ground, wrapping both her legs and pulling them tightly together. He pulled, and she fell, screaming on her descent.
The noise might attract unwanted onlookers.
"Gag her."
The shadow traveled upwards, coiling around her body and eliciting a higher-pitched squeal before the sound was muffled all together.
She waited patiently, and the girl was tossed next to her comrade. They were both seated against the wall now, and a quick glance to either side of the alley told her no one had come by to check on the disturbance.
Faust seemed to finally be getting his bearings, and she approached him, ready to make her demands known.
"Empty your pockets." She''d gone through them quickly, and it was better to have him do it again. Her head angled toward the girl, who, despite being freed, hadn''t said a peep. "That goes for you as well."
There was a startling lack of movement from the two.
"You''re robbing us?" The boy spoke, his face still wet from his own puke. "That''s¡ illegal."
She already knew they were idiots, but this really hammered in the point.
Tanya gripped the knife still embedded in the girl''s boot and yanked it out. Lillian''s cry was strangled as the girl watched the blade be held up to her partner''s throat.
"Do you require any more clarification?" He shook his head, and she pulled back. "Good, now do as I say and shut up until I ask a question."
Standing over them, she watched as they put their wallets, phones, and miscellaneous items on the street.
Something caught her eye, and she reached down to pick up the laminated card. Checking the date on it, she realized it was expired.
Shame, a trainer card would have made things easier.
"Is this it?" She figured the haul would be poor, but they were more destitute than she thought. "I''ll know if you''re lying to me."
Normally an empty threat, but she was hoping any lie would be obvious given their rattled state.
"That''s everything, swear to Arceus," Faust said with his hands up in a placating gesture. He couldn''t seem to decide whether to look at her or Mimikyu leaning against her leg.
"Is that right?" Tanya drolled, her eyes roaming to the girl. "And you?"
She had to kick the girls boot, causing her to retract her legs and curl her arms around them defensively.
"Y-yeah," she replied shakily. "We left the rest in the-"
Her words cut off, and she swallowed, rubbing her throat.
"In the what?" Tanya asked in a calm manner.
Neither seemed willing to speak on it, and she considered more extreme interrogation methods while absentmindedly inspecting the knife for any knicks.
"Our hideout," they bluttered out in unison.
She looked up from her inspection, finding them looking at each other with betrayal that bled away into sheepishness.
Their internal squabble aside, a hideout was promising. While she could camp out on a route, having a base of operations in the city would be beneficial. Both for now and in the future.
"Is anyone else there?" She pointed the knife at the boy, who shook his head.
A problem arose, one centered around manpower. There was a solution, but it was not exactly ideal.
She weighed her decision and, with a sigh of defeat, reached for her belt.
A lazy cry, or yawn, heralded the arrival of Mawile. The Pokemon smacked her lips and took in the surroundings before giving her a questioning look.
It was a good start; she expected the Pokemon''s first act to whine about being left out of it.
"Mawile, I need your help with an important task."
She made to continue when she noticed the Pokemon nod and begin to walk towards the downed duo.
"H-hold up, we did what you wanted," Faust pleaded, his eyes darting to the side, looking for an escape.
"What are you doing?" She questioned the Pokemon to whom she had given no orders.
Mawile turned to her, tilting her head before responding matter of factually.
"Ma, wile, ma."
Tanya had implied nothing of the sort.
Patience, she counseled herself.
"I didn''t say to break their legs." A gulp was heard. "They need them to lead you to their base of operations. Once there, you are to secure it."
A thumbs up was returned all too readily.
"Mawile, ma, wile."
The lack of hesitation worried her more than anything.
"This is a serious assignment, Mawile. We''re in the middle of a large metropolitan area. That means don''t cause a ruckus. No fighting unless attacked first. No stealing-" She stopped herself and then corrected her statement. "No stealing from civilians." She could see the Pokemon''s eyes light up. "Or from the police."
They dimmed, and the Pokemon huffed.
"Maw, wile."
Tanya gave her a level stare, not budging an inch.
"Then you can go back into your ball. I''m not sending you out there only to read about how you destroyed half the city."
She was being hyperbolic, but a point had to be made.
"Ma, wileeeeeeeeeeee." The Pokemon gave a mixture of a groan and whine, accepting the assignment with reluctance. She stamped over, pawing at Tanya''s belt.
"What are you doing?" Tanya slapped her hand away. Did she want a knife all of a sudden?
"Maw," the Pokemon spoke with her hands on her hips. "Wile, wile, maw."
Ah, right. She would need a translator.
"Ralts is tired; I''m not sure sending her with you is a great idea¡"
Should she send Mawile out to find Gabite instead? No, that was a recipe for disaster.
Her pant leg was tugged, and Mimikyu attracted her attention.
The doll bulged, and then a box was deposited from the bottom.
It was a familiar-looking box.
For a moment, she considered what she was doing for all her Pokemon to so readily commit illegal acts.
"Mimikyu, no stealing from random shops." She instructed in vain and reached for the box. "Your allowance will be deducted for this amount."
He gave no signs that showed he was bothered about it.
''Energy Powder.''
A stimulant of some sort. She recalled the woman mentioning it before and implying it was widely used.
She popped the box open, taking a finger of the powder.
Was she supposed to snort it?
It wasn''t like the stuff she applied to Carbink.
Mawile approached and mirrored her action, taking a step further and sticking her finger in her mouth.
"Ma," The Pokemon made a face and stuck her tongue out, using her hands to wipe it down as best she could. "Wile, ma." The Pokemon got out with a dissatisfied tone.
So it worked to some extent. This did not strike her as safe, but in moderation it should be fine, right?
Sending Ralts to temper Mawile''s extremes seemed like a smart move. Both had violent streaks, but Ralts was better at listening to her.
Reaching for her belt again, she released Ralts.
"This is an energy booster; use as needed but be careful." She handed the Pokemon the box, whose eyes remained glued to her. "I need you to go with Mawile to the hideout of these two. Stay out of trouble, understood? This is a big responsibility; I''m trusting you."
Ralts stood as straight as her little spine could, and a hand rose in a textbook salute.
''Yes, mama.''
That was¡close enough, she supposed.
Tanya reached toward the ground, handing the Pokemon one of the punk''s cellphones.
"Use this to contact me. In the meantime, Mimikyu and I will go track down Gabite. If the hideout is suitable, we''ll rendezvous there."
Ralts nodded seriously.
Yes, this could work.
"Alright, best of luck." Tanya lifted Mimikyu. "Which way to Gabite?"
He leaned a certain way, and she started traveling in that direction.
Before she left the alley, she heard a final piece from one of their captives.
"What the fuck did we get ourselves into?"
Chaptet 29
The second she had left the alley, doubts started to well up within her. This was the first time she would be apart from either of them for any prolonged period, and it seemed her mind was determined to catalog every possible disastrous outcome they might cause.
There were a great number of them. Some of them were so absurd in nature that she wondered why the thought would even occur to her, and then she remembered who she was dealing with.
Many of their opponents had underestimated the destructiveness of Mawile, and Tanya was loath to count herself among their number.
Tanya paused in her advance down the street, taking a breath before continuing again.
Ralts was an empath; she should be able to determine when Mawile was about to do something stupid and take preventive action.
And if she couldn''t?
Well, Tanya had a bit of experience in crisis management.
With that bit of reassurance, she continued on until Mimikyu went fully limp.
It prompted her to stop and take stock of where she was. They weren''t too far from where they''d started, and she only now realized how much of a wild goose chase the ghost Pokemon had led her on.
She would withhold any further criticism until the day''s end. After all, results mattered.
After stopping, her first matter of business was to assess if she was about to be mugged again. This area was not as deserted as the previous one, and while there were some people about, none of them screamed thug to her.
Her second act was to scan the glass displays of each storefront, looking for any sign of Gabite. She paused at one in particular across the street. It had a pickup truck idle on the curb outside, and what she spotted through the window was enough to warrant a closer look.
Tanya crossed the street with a quick stride and came to the other side. Peering through the glass at a different angle, she spotted her target.
She didn''t waste another moment and entered the establishment.
For a split second, Tanya thought she might have been whisked away back to her first world.
Bobbleheads, figurines, plushies, and other paraphernalia occupied rows of low-level shelves. The merchandise was evenly spaced, and there was a sense of organization among them. The ends of each row had bins with rolled-up tubes, presumably selling some of the posters that hung from the ceiling. Against the walls stood more shelves, these ones taller and carrying magazines along with other media types.
This was without a doubt, an otaku shop. The only thing that told her she was still in Kalos was that all subjects were Pokemon related.
Well, that and the dragon standing in front of the counter. The man behind it did not look in any way upset at the grumbling Pokemon in front of him. Quite the opposite, in fact. His eyes seemed to shine behind his thick-rimmed glasses, and he held out a camera, taking picture after picture of Gabite.
"Awesome, show me more teeth." Gabite did so, but Tanya doubted it was in response to the man''s request. "Yeah, just like that. Man, the group chat is going to be so jealous."
Tanya cleared her throat and the action had the desired effect of attracting the attention of both.
"Gabite, there you are," she spoke with a veneer of amicability. "You have no idea how worried I was." About her loot that was, which was thankfully in sight. "What have we said about wandering off?"
She morbidly wondered what would constitute bad behavior by the Pokemon.
"This your Pokemon little girl?" The man questioned while still taking pictures. "She''s a real beauty. The scars really highlight the line''s ferociousness. And that look in her eyes, man, if I didn''t know any better, I think she''d want to tear my head off." His excitement only seemed to grow as he spoke, and he turned fully to Tanya. "Do you mind if I take a picture with her?"
She didn''t. And as far as outcomes were concerned, an enthusiastic clerk was preferable.
"Bite, ga, bite," the Pokemon warned, arms held loosely by her side.
Tanya hid a frown. The reaction, while unwarranted, wasn''t out of the realm of disbelief. Still, she would not allow Gabite to bite off the hand of any human that touched her.
"Gabite belongs to my aunt. Unfortunately, she''s not the most personable of Pokemon."
In other words, Tanya was not responsible for any injuries that occurred should he ignore her.
"Damn¡" The man muttered, rubbing his chin. "But that does make her more authentic." He snapped his fingers. "Okay, selfie compromise."
He turned around, holding the camera at arm''s length and angling it in a manner to capture him and Gabite.
Tanya stepped back, ensuring she was out of the frame until she heard the flash.
"It looks even better than I expected." The clerk''s eyes remained glued to the camera''s display screen and she could see him flipping through some of the other pictures he''d taken. "So what can I do you two for?"
An excellent question. Why in the hell were they here?
She turned to Gabite, doing her best to convey both the question and her ire. Gabite met her stare, and rather than challenge it, she looked to the side almost sheepishly.
"Gab, ite, ite."
Tanya followed her line of sight.
Seriously?!?!?
A smack was heard, and just then Tanya did more damage to herself than the punks ever had any hope of doing.
Her hand dragged down her face, delaying the time she had to deal with this absurdity.
"Oh, interested in a Gabite plush? They''re pretty hot sellers. You have great timing; the truck just dropped those off."
It was no coincidence. With the clerk''s and Gabite''s words, she put together the sequence of events.
Gabite was waiting outside when she saw the truck speed past with what she thought was a captive Gible. At some point, probably early on, Gabite realized it was just a stuffed doll. However, being a stubborn dragon, she decided to be 100% certain and followed it all the way to this shop.
Under her scrutiny, the Pokemon uttered a few more words in her defense.
"Gabit, ite."
While the medicine may have messed with her sense of smell, her eyes still function perfectly, did they not?
Tanya turned to the clerk.
"That won''t be necessary. We have plenty of them already."
Mimikyu did not need another, and she wasn''t about to buy Gabite one.
"Are you-." The man had finally met her eyes when addressing her, but his words only paused when they traveled to what she carried. "Oh, sweet! Is that vintage or your own work?"
Tanya used her arm to subtly conceal Mimikyu''s form.
"A bit of both. I''ve had to make alterations and repairs."
He lifted the camera again, but this time he asked before doing anything further.
"Do you mind if I get a pic of that as well? The group loves the vintage stuff, and most of us maniacs have tried our hand at repairing or making our own at some point."
She took a wholly appropriate step back.
"Maniac?" Tanya questioned. Anyone who willingly called themselves one was probably off their rocker more than was standard in this world.
"PokeManiacs." He grinned, pointing a thumb to himself. "We call ourselves that because we''re crazy about all things Pokemon. There''s not a whole lot of us in Kalos but every now and then you''ll find one of us suited up and ready for battle!"
A Pokemon groupie then. Strange, but not dangerous.
"Oh! I just had a great idea; wait here," he said before setting the camera down and heading through a backdoor.
There was a series of bangs and curses, but he returned swiftly, breathing heavily while carrying a cardboard box.
He set it on the table, opened it, and removed a piece of what was inside.
"What do you think? Pretty realistic, right? Think she''ll be okay if I put it on? We can take a picture with the Gible plushie to have the full line. It will make a kickass wallpaper for my phone."
He placed the felt Garchomp head to the side and then took out other pieces of what looked to be a full-body costume.
Why would anyone ever need that?
Tanya didn''t entertain the man any longer.
"Sorry, but I''m late for meeting up with someone." She approached Gabite, tugging on the Pokemon''s fin. "Let''s go; we don''t want to be late."
The Pokemon shrugged her hand off and seemed oddly entranced with the costume.
"Wha? Come on. Please? It''ll be so cool!"
She ignored the weird man and spoke to the unruly dragon.
"Gabite, do I have to remind you of your promise?"
That did the trick, and the Pokemon reluctantly marched after her, leaving the clerk''s disappointed pleas behind.
Tanya checked the time during her departure. It hadn''t taken as long as she thought.
"Mimikyu, can you track them?"
There was no movement, which meant he either couldn''t or wouldn''t
Belatedly, she realized she''d never gotten the punks'' phone numbers, which meant she would have to wait for Ralts'' and Mawile''s call.
She signed, rubbing her temple. It seemed she had some free time. She decided she would grab some coffee and yell at the stupid dragon to pass it.
The extra energy and destressing might be needed rather shortly.
Lillian was having a shit day.
No, that was understating things.
She was having a really shit day.
Her stomach hurt to the point she might hurl any second, her leg felt like it might be fractured, her nose had a pulsing pain that didn''t feel like it would go away anytime soon, and worst of all?
She was being robbed by a pair of pipsqueaks.
Not that she would say any of that out loud. Even saying it in the safety of her own head was risky.
''Eyes front.''
Fuckkk.
Lillian obeyed, doing her damndest not to steal a glance toward her right where she knew the Pokemon to be walking alongside her.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She gently caressed her nose. The shape felt roughly right, which led her to question why a Pokemon knew how to realign a broken nose. She didn''t hide her shudder at the memory, clutching her arms and rubbing them up and down.
Those freaky little pink eyes. They were far too calm, a mirror image of her trainers''.
"Hey Lil," her partner, Faust, spoke using her nickname. "For the record, this shit is on you."
Her head snapped in his direction, the sudden action making her dizzy for a moment. She was about to elbow the jerk when the voice appeared again.
''No fighting.''
Fuckkkk.
That wasn''t getting any less creepy. She''d never interacted with a psychic Pok¨¦mon to this extent, and after today, she hoped to maintain that streak.
"How is this my fault?" She bit back angrily, her fist clenched by her side. "You''re the one who said she''d be an easy mark."
Oh sure, rob the little blonde kid. All those bags had to have something good, right?
"Yeah, well, you''re supposed to be the smart one."
She puffed up her cheeks, letting the air out in a single huff.
What he meant was that she had common fucking sense. Faust wasn''t an idiot.
In fact, that head of his wasn''t bad when it came to planning grifts and schemes. The problem was that he was a dreamer who had a tendency to overreach for things.
He thought he could do more than be a simple street thug. He was right, but not as much as he''d like to think, and Lillian knew better. It was her job to whack him on the side of the head whenever he got a particularly overly ambitious idea.
Robbing a little girl was not overly ambitious. Fuck, it was like the easiest score of all time.
The girl had been practically asking for it by wandering into the deserted alley.
It had been perfect.
She was kicking herself for not seeing the obvious setup, but who would rightfully expect to get thrown by a girl half their height?
It was like she was fighting one of those gym brats she''d seen on TV. She''d always thought seeing them throw down with adults and even Pokemon was bullshit.
Turns out, she was the asshole
No, fuck that.
She refused to normalize the situation. Lillian had a right to shake her fist and curse out the world.
"I''m taking your silence as agreement," Faust commented beside her, and in spite of not looking at him, she knew a smile to be on his face.
Had she been given the chance, she would be strangling him right about now.
It was just like him to say that. The second he was out of danger, he seemed to readily forget it existed.
Granted, she was guilty of doing that as well. It was just something you learned how to do out here. Those who didn''t would never make it in the big city.
The difference between them right now was that he had seemingly forgotten that the first action that Mawile had upon being released was to casually attempt to break their legs.
As if that was a reasonable assumption to make.
And the only thing that had stopped it was the trainer, who wasn''t here now.
Lillian was feeling very conflicted over that.
"Maw, wile, mawile." Mawile ran a little ahead, stopping at a small cart set up in the street.
She recognized the type; it was basically a corner shop on wheels. They tended to travel in the city, setting up shop wherever foot traffic would be highest for the day. It was fairly clear right now, but she knew once those school bells rang later in the day this place would be flooded. This street was popular for skating, with a slope at just the right angle to let brats feel like they were skating without actually being at any risk.
The Pokemon pointed at the man manning it. "Wile, mawile."
Her tiny hand waved up and down, the sleeve of that stylish coat bouncing up and down. All Lillian could do was think about how that color would hide blood well.
Mawile''s head turned and she shook her head.
"Wile, mawil, ile," she clearly addressed their second warden.
Lillian got the feeling they were only hearing one side of the conversation. Not that they would be able to understand it either way.
"Need something?"
The vendor asked while giving Faust and her a skeptical look. It was one they were long since used to, and she knew it meant he was considering calling the cops then and there.
In a twist of fate, she found herself hoping he would.
"Wile, ma, wile."
The Ralts crossed her arms, a look of disapproval on her face.
"Psst," Faust did a poor job of keeping the volume down. "Think we should book it?"
If there was ever a time to do it, now would be it.
Her hand went to her disturbingly light choker. If she still had Krokorok, maybe she would. Technically, she had already tried without her Pokemon.
She didn''t count it against herself. Anyone caught up in that situation would have run.
"Stay put," she muttered.
The two of them were far from out of shape, but she didn''t think their chances of getting away were particularly high.
"Sure?" He whispered, the two Pokemon still having an argument. "Give them the regular ole slip."
That worked fine against fat security officers. There was no way it would fly here.
She minutely shook her head in denial.
It was not a moment too soon, as the argument seemed to be resolved.
''Purchase.''
The voice commanded, pointing to a giant lollipop. It was one of many sticking out of a box of assorted candies.
If it kept her from getting maimed by a two-foot-tall Pokemon, she''d gladly foot the bill.
Unfortunately, they''d been robbed.
"So?" The vendor asked, not so subtly tapping a sticker plastered to his cart.
Lillian visibly cringed.
That stupid laminated sticker told her it wouldn''t be the cops he''d call. This dude paid his dues to the Scolipede Pod. They weren''t the largest gang in the city, but they were nothing to turn your nose at.
Certainly far larger than their two-person operation.
"Eh, screw it," Faust said while doing his exaggerated walk to the cart. He made a show of looking things over before shoving the vendor back and grabbing the entire box of candy. "Run!"
Seriously?!
He took off down the street, pieces of candy falling in his wake.
Fuckkkkk.
Why did she stick around with him? Oh, right, they were fosters put in the same hole, and they were the only ones with brains enough to get while the getting was good.
"Why you little punks." The man reached for his waist, patting down the area a few times with perplexity. "Where did-shit!"
Three Pokeballs tumbled down the street, having been lifted from him at some point.
"Wile!" Mawile kicked the wedges holding the cart in place loose before pushing the cart after the man. "Maw!"
It took off after Faust, and Lillian followed in pursuit, trying and failing to ignore her protesting shin.
Her lips pressed thin as she ran, grimacing through the pain.
They knew the city well, and five minutes later she was collapsed in an alley between two buildings, taking deep mouthfuls of air.
No one told you how hard it was to run when your nose was congested like crazy. She spat at the ground and directed a tired glare at her partner.
"Faust, what, and I cannot stress this enough, the hell."
She would ask why he was intent on starting a gang war, but there wouldn''t even be one. The Scolipede Pod would wipe them off the map.
They had agreed to keep hustling, gain a street or two, and slowly but surely expand.
To everyone else, they''d be your run-a-mill punks. By the time they realized otherwise, their little gang would have a nice, if small, cut of the city.
Nothing as big as Faust wanted, but enough so they could eat good food and have warm beds¡ªthe kinds you could roll over on. Maybe, as a stretch, they could go on that vacation they always talked about.
And Faust might have imploded the whole thing with a stupid shove.
"What?" He questioned with a tilt of his head. It made her wish he''d taken a bigger beating. He had to be hurting still, right? She sure as shit was! "They might break our legs in the future; this one will break ours now."
He pointed to Mawile, who held the box high. She brought her black jaw around and dumped most of the contents of the box into it.
A sickening crunch was heard as the jaw snapped shut, and Lillian shuddered.
Okay, good point.
Wait. Where did the other one go?
She glanced around, not seeing any sign of the Ralts.
Fuckkkkkk.
That girl was going to kill them.
''No stealing.''
Her muscles locked as she tried to avoid any sudden movements.
Mawile stuck a lollipop in its regular mouth and looked behind Lillian. She turned slowly, and her head craned up.
Sat on the fire escape above them was very angry-looking Ralts.
Fuckkkkkkk.
In a flash, it was gone. It took her a moment to realize that the Pok¨¦mon was now in front of Mawile, who was trying to stick a piece of candy into her hand.
It fell to the ground.
"Maw," Mawile picked up the piece of candy, walked to the other Pokemon, and threw an arm around her. She used her hand holding the piece of candy to point at herself and then Ralts. "Wile, maw, wil." The hand was moved, gesturing to the pair of Faust and her. "Wile, mawile, ile."
Ralts'' head tilted, and the threads of green parted, revealing those same eerie eyes staring at her.
Pink eyes widened, and Lillian had a bad premonition.
Ralts took the candy, holding it up to the light. She looked at Mawile, nodding her head.
''No stealing.''
The small white hand was moved, and like a judge''s gavel, it came down on them.
''Stealing.''
Huh?
Faust picked up on it quicker than her, and he reached into his pocket, taking a lollipop he''d hidden away during their escape.
"I get it. The kid said they couldn''t steal." He plopped it in his mouth. "Said nothing about us not stealing."
Did this mean she could hit him?
Chapter 30
Despite her reservations, things seemed to turn out fairly well. It was to such an extent that she could entertain the idea of sending Ralts and Mawile on more independent errands. She still felt a certain sense of unease at it, but it no longer gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"Are you certain nothing else happened?" She repeated the question she''d asked upon her reunion with the pair.
"Ma, wile." Mawile waved off her concern.
As far as reliable sources went, Mawile did not rank high.
"Uh," there was a metallic snap, and the punk girl who had been speaking was startled. She and her companion had been placed in the corner of the room they were occupying. "Nevermind." She rushed out quickly.
Tanya turned back to Mawile, seeing the wrench she had been playing with broken in two. Hmm, well, she did say not to speak unless questioned, so the Pokemon was really just enforcing her standing orders.
Besides, that''s not who she wanted to hear from. Tanya looked to Ralts, who was sitting on a wooden workbench.
''Got candy,'' she admitted.
Tanya let out a breath of relief, rewarding the Pokemon with a pat on the head.
"I would have preferred you two stay on task." She had better not have to prompt them to finish their lunch. With no longer having the cheap pawnshop, they''d have to start paying real money for food. "Nonetheless, good work, you two. You''ve exceeded my expectations."
It was not a difficult task given those expectations, but she needed to reinforce this type of responsible behavior.
''Mama,'' Ralts, still preening on the praise, addressed her. ''Mimi created opportunity.''
That she strung so many words together told her a little of the weight Ralts assigned to that.
They rang true as well. As much as she griped at the time about it, Mimikyu had manufactured a situation that benefited them immensely.
She could almost see the parallel to herself. The key difference was that while she always had that end goal in mind, Mimikyu had probably just gotten lucky.
It was an important distinction, and she was sure her old brass would have agreed on that.
"Yes, good job as well, Mimikyu." He gave no signs of having heard her. "Thanks to you, we now have a base of operations in the city," she declared while taking in their latest acquisition.
Calling it an open floor plan would have been generous, as she suspected most of the furniture had been pawned off, and what remained looked like it could have been taken from street corners.
The floor was of solid concrete, with parts of it having rust stains or other marks of unknown origin.
There were two flimsy workbenches set up. They were mostly occupied by personal items. Brushes, deodorant, charging cables¡ªjust about anything you''d expect to be kept in a bathroom cabinet or nightstand dresser.
The one standout was a map of the city. It had a legend depicting the famous attractions of the city. She wasn''t a tourist, and so that held little interest to her. However, she noted the red and black marks made by the punks, indicating they were not using it as a sightseeing guide.
Against the left wall was a set of lockers repurposed as closets. They looked to have been ripped straight out of a school and were not secured to anything.
The wall opposite was what functioned as the kitchen. They had a single working sink and mini fridge with a microwave on top. A shopping cart functioned as their pantry.
On the back wall was a door that led to a small storage area and functional bathroom. Before the door was the sleeping area with an old mattress that was currently sat on by the punks.
Tanya took a deep breath; the smell of old rubber lingered but was not overwhelming. She turned, looking at the entrance. The floor-to-ceiling windows had been covered by newspapers, preventing natural light from entering. They couldn''t be opened anyway, so she''d have to resort to leaving the door propped open to air the place out.
The entire place would need cleaning in general. There were a smattering of tools and old parts carelessly thrown on the floor that had to be sorted or disposed of.
"This was a cyclist shop?" She directed to the punks. There was a faded sign above the entrance that indicated as such, but it had clearly been a long time since they serviced anything. "And you do own this, right? You''re not just squatters?"
They claimed ownership when she''d asked earlier, which prompted her to praise the team.
Was it a good base? No, but it fit her purposes.
Running water, no smell of mold, decently spacious, and a surprisingly good location. In fact, when they''d walked in earlier, it looked to be one of the only boarded-up shops on the street.
"I own it free and clear," Faust replied, sitting straighter and puffing out his chest. "Some uncle I didn''t know kicked it. Took the fancy suits a while to find out who was supposed to take it, and I only got the deed thing last year." He seemed oddly prideful for something he had nothing to do with. "They even tried to buy it off me, but I said no way. Total low balls, I know what I got here."
He slapped the dingy mattress, causing dust to rise from it.
In Tanya''s opinion, both were probably true. She doubted Faust had any idea of the true price of real estate in the city, but whoever made the offer was also trying to take advantage of that fact and get the property at a bargain.
If taxes worked as expected, the boy would lose it soon enough.
The impending foreclosure was none of her concern; this was a temporary setup.
"I''m sure you do," Tanya said dismissively. "As I stated, we''ll be staying here for a while. We''ll try to stay out of each other''s business."
The two punks shared a look, the girl shaking her head in opposition to the boy''s nodding.
"Sounds good, we." He stopped abruptly and stole a glance behind her before continuing. "Stay as long as you like. But, uh, things might get rough soon, so do you think we could get our Pokemon back?"
It was an obvious attempt to present a false sense of urgency and prompt a hasty decision on her part. She was not fooled that easily.
"Make yourselves comfortable in the storeroom while I discuss with my team."
The girl looked to want to protest, but it died on her lips, and she had a forlorn expression before getting to her feet and leading the way.
Her partner looked to consider saying something as well before choosing to remain silent. Tanya watched them closely until the door shut.
"Ralts, do you think they''ll get any ideas if I return their Pok¨¦mon?" Carrying around Pok¨¦mon that weren''t hers for an extended period of time felt wrong.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
''No, weak.''
Hmm, she wasn''t sure if she could trust that assessment.
"Maw, wile, maw," Mawile encouraged.
That made her even more skeptical.
But that same skepticism had just been proven to be unwarranted. So maybe she was being overly harsh?
"Keep an eye on them." Having a psychic did wonders for security. "I don''t want to hear about them causing any trouble in the future."
Ralts gave her a reassuring nod of understanding.
"Thank you; now onto business. Mawile, pay attention." She snapped her fingers at the Pokemon, whose attention was beginning to drift. "And you," she pointed to Gabite, who had begun to arch her head toward them. "Stay in the corner. Or can you not spend fifteen minutes staring at a wall in silence?"
She''d dictated that as her punishment once they''d arrived.
"Bite, bite, the Pokemon grumbled in a low voice but remained still.
Tanya had chosen her words carefully. Implying the Pokemon could not complete such a simple task only spurned the dragon to prove her wrong.
With the dragon quieted down again, she eyed the map of the grunts. Her time in the city had been brief, but she did remember crossing one of the city''s plazas. She didn''t immediately recall the name, but after seeing the ones on the map, one stuck out to her.
Magenta Plaza.
It was one of five such locations in the city, arranged in a pentagram around their version of the Eiffel Tower.
And just north of there was an alley with that cafe.
"One of these," she pointed at all the alleys connecting to the plaza. "Has a Team Flare base. Given how poor their operational security has been shown to be, finding out which should be simple enough."
She imagined it would be as easy as walking around, spotting the most ridiculously dressed person, and following them.
Of course, while she was willing to enter the city, she was not about to press her luck by walking around so close to someplace she might be recognized.
That was simply asking for trouble.
Tanya chewed on her lip. She needed eyes on that cafe¡ªconsistent ones at that. Ideally, she''d be able to get someone to pose as a new customer. They would have to be someone disposable.
Her eyes drifted to the storage room.
No.
While they fit disposable to a T, they were not reliable enough for that type of job. Either one of them would be picked out in an instant, and they clearly didn''t have the will to resist interrogation.
As of now, she was only keeping them around for what scraps of knowledge they might have. Poor criminals or not, they must have known some of the more seedy locations in the city. Places where she could pawn off some of her ill-gotten goods or hopefully barter for a proper firearm.
That was the extent to which she was willing to use them for. It wasn''t that they had no other utility, but work would have to be done in order to bring it out. That was a level of investment she was not willing to take on herself.
She moved on, putting them out of her mind for now.
"Infiltrating the facility underneath will be the harder challenge."
Not even knowing the scope of it put a damper on her plans.
''Records?'' Ralts questioned.
With the layout of the city, she was certain they kept those types of records. They may even be available to the public.
However, what criminal organization would file an illegal construction with the permit office?
''Eliminate.''
Ralts said simply. As much as Tanya shared the sentiment of wanting to eliminate the cult, she really needed to curb that violent streak.
''Possiblilites.''
It didn''t take long for her to connect that with Ralts'' previous message, and suddenly she felt her cheeks heating up a bit.
She coughed, clearing up her throat.
"Excellent point." This was becoming an all too common occurrence, and she brushed past the embarrassment. "We can use the records of sewage and adjacent buildings to show where they haven''t built." Another thought occurred to her. "Power and water as well; they''ll be drawing more of that as well. Unless they find ways to circumvent relying on the grid."
In this world of Pokemon, that was only too easy.
"We can start doing the leg work, but we''ll work on the assumption that we are unable to breach the facility in a timely manner. Let''s use our time wisely and prepare more for the future. Our latest encounter shows we still have work to do."
Aside from Carbink, they''d made it out relatively okay. But if a group of wild Pokemon was enough to injure them, then they were lacking quite a bit.
"To that end, it''s about time we use some of these." She reached into the duffle bag, carefully retrieved the disks, and placed them on the counter. "Technical Machines," she explained in case any of them were unaware. "Unfortunately, these ones are only single use." He must have blown most of his capital on Gible to not spring for the multi-use variety. "From what I know, you simply hold them over your head, and the knowledge of a new move is downloaded to your brain."
It was a frightening and exciting prospect. Had she been more of a risk-taker, she may have attempted to use them on herself. But using something created for Pokemon on a human sounded like a good way to fry her brain and become a vegetable.
Her hand hovered on a brown disk, and she hesitated for a moment before pushing it toward Mawile.
"I''m trusting you to use this wisely." Stone Edge was not a move to be given out lightly. It had its drawbacks, but in terms of raw power, it was difficult to beat. "I don''t want you testing it without my supervision."
Mawile grabbed it eagerly, a grin on both her mouths. She had almost touched it to her forehead when she paused, frozen. The grins widened, and she placed it back on the table.
"Maw, ile," the Pokemon decided with conviction in her voice.
Tanya knew they got along, but to give up the move for Carbink was a degree of camaraderie she didn''t think the Pokemon possessed.
As well-intentioned as that was¡
"Carbink lacks the offensive potential to properly use it. Despite the synergy with his typing, you will bring out more of the moves potential."
It was well known that a fire type move used by a fire type Pokemon produced better results than say a ground type using them. Carbink desperately needed a stronger method of attack, but she didn''t want to waste such a powerful commodity.
"Maw," the Pokemon intoned, looking at Tanya as if she were mentally defiecint in some way. Mawile pointed a finger gun at her, miming the firing of it. "Mawile."
The action was familiar, and Tanya connected the dots.
"You want to have Carbink use Stone Edge to compliment your-" Tanya stopped herself, searching for an appropriate word. "Your combination attack."
"Ile," the Pokemon corrected.
She did not forget the name Fairy Cannon; she just didn''t want to promote its use.
Tanya mulled the proposition. Naming aside, it was a devastating attack, and she liked the idea of having such an ace up her sleeve.
"Fine," she said, setting the disk aside. "He can have that. I trust you''ll have no issues taking this next one."
Compared to Stone Edge, Thunder Fang felt underwhelming. She had considered selling or trading it, but she''d rather use it now and not be caught in a situation where it would have been beneficial later.
"Mawil."
This time their were no interruptions, and the Pokemon held it up to her head. The disk glowed for a moment before dimming again.
Confirmation of its success came swiftly, with the Pokemon opening a maw crackling with electricity.
"Put it away," she ordered swiftly. "And stay away from electrical equipment when you use that."
The next one went to Ralts.
"I want you to learn Rest, but only if you will be able to teach the rest of the team it as well. Do you think you can do that?"
A feeling of strong denial was communicated to her, and Ralts pointed at herself.
''Hard worker.''
It was times like these that she remembered how young the Pokemon was.
"Names are a form of marketing. Some might even say they are the highest form of it." In her first world, there were certain products whose names were so powerful they were worth billions on their own. To a lesser extent, it was present in her second world as well. As much as she loathed the name, her Pixie Battalion had become known as the tip of the Empire''s spear, often used in the vanguard of any major operation. "Don''t let a name prevent you from taking full advantage of an opportunity."
Her reminiscing made her miss having a full battalion of soldiers at her command. With them at her back, dealing with Team Flare would have been child''s play.
"Ra, alts!" She enthusiastically replied for all to hear.
Strangely, she made no moves towards the disk, and Tanya had to remind her of it. With the move learned, she was left with a Protect and Earthquake.
She would well them both and teach Ralts the former move herself. Along with these and the spent Fire Blast, there were a few other damaged ones she had in her possession. She would have to see if they had any salvage value.
With that squared away, she continued.
"Let''s wait until Carbink recovers before moving for those herbs. We can spend the next couple of days getting to know the city and finding a place nearby to train." She would not let city life make them complacent. Looking at the map again, something caught her eye. "A city this size must have an active battler scene." Mawile suddenly seemed laser-focused, and she was quick to temper her expectations. "I''m not saying we should participate." She didn''t rule it out either. If there was low-hanging fruit, she''d be happy to pick it. "But we should observe skilled trainers. We may have to contend against them in the future."
Per the article, that Skarmory belonged to an Ace. With her current status, it was not implausible that such trainers may try to take matters into their own hands and attempt to apprehend her.
Tanya was very keen on understanding what level of threat they presented and if anything could be learned from observing them. Her schooling had been rigorous under Xerosic and his lackeys, but they were scientists, not professional battlers.
In short, it was about time she got a better handle on this Pokemon thing.
"Get those two out here and put them to work." They could help clean up. "I want this entire area brought to my standard."
She would not live in pigsty if she could help it.
''Understood,'' Ralts saluted her for some reason. ''Leave it to me, Mama.''
That dwarfed even what she said to Mimikyu earlier. It seemed the Pokemon was starting to truly come into her own.
Chapter 31
A Charizard stomped down in the arena. The orange beast raised its maw into the sky and released a stream of fire, a roar of victory accompanying it. Its opponent, a Pangoro, had been recalled a moment ago. Charizard''s trainer walked casually up to the Pokemon, and the pair shared a brief high-five before walking to their competitor and shaking hands.
It struck her as cordial and was a stark contrast to the level of violence she''d just witnessed. Both combatants had fought fiercely, attempting to down their opponent with precision and strength. They were disciplined, reacting quickly to changing situations and their respective trainer''s orders.
"Gabit," Gabite commented derisively next to her.
Aside from her, Mimikyu was her only companion today. The rest were back at the shop, having offered to stay behind and clean things up. That kind of initiative was uncharacteristic for Mawile, but she supposed Ralts was a better influence than she expected.
True to her suspicions, there were no shortage of high-level battles occurring in the city.
She and Gabite were sitting on a set of bleachers that flanked a league-certified rink. It was an open-air setup, with white lines being drawn into hard-packed clay. There were five like it lined up parallel to it, and the only barrier between one another was some meters of pavement.
Despite being on the edge of the city, this area was lively, with more than one rink being used at a time. It was not limited to combatants either, as there were a smattering of spectators milling about, traveling from one rink to another whenever a new match was set to begin.
Tanya did not blend in as well as she would have liked, and even now she could see people stealing glances at her. Well, not her specifically, but Gabite. She''d already had to turn down multiple offers to battle, and at this point she was considering the merits of putting a sign around her neck declaring no solicitation.
"True dragon or not," Tanya responded to Gabite. "It would be tough to put down."
It would be far from impossible, though, and there was a single weak point she kept focusing on.
The trainers themselves. Incapacitating the trainer and returning the Pokemon was a given. However, even ignoring that, the Pokemon themselves relied far too much on a trainer''s orders.
Several times she had watched the Charizard hesitate, wasting precious moments for their trainer to tell them what they already knew needed to be done. Tanya knew the value of disciplined soldiers; it was important for them to heed any order given without question. That being said, a good commander knew to give their subordinates enough leeway in achieving their objectives as to not be paralyzed without their command. Things like ''dodge that Body Slam'' should be a given unless specifically instructed otherwise.
Tanya had made sure that the same would not plague her team, drilling into them what to do under numerous scenarios.
Gabite huffed at the comment, clearly agreeing with her assessment but not wanting to vocalize it.
Tanya disregarded that and scribbled in her notebook. It was filled with documentation on the battles she''d observed today. Things like combatants, temperaments, moves, strategy, and timestamps were all meticulously written down. Due to the speed of some battles, it was roughly done, but she''d rewrite it later tonight before she forgot any important details.
She finished jotting down her observation over the lack of aerial moves and closed the book. A thought occurred to her, and she opened it again, adding a caveat that the preference for physical engagement might have been done with the intention of specific training.
This was the pre-season, and while these matches did count for their overall record, they didn''t count for the upcoming circuit. She had learned of the difference after an enthusiastic challenger mistook her reluctance for confusion about how the system functioned. A trainer''s record mattered, but most people acknowledged that their record during the circuit was a better indicator for a trainer''s current level of talent. The way it had been phrased to her was that it put everyone on a more even playing field, and so the results were more comparable.
That information wasn''t relevant to her now, but the trainer business was big business. Wherever she ended up making a living, she would most likely need to interact with them in some capacity.
From the corner of her eye, Tanya noticed the telltale signs of someone working up the nerve to ask her for a battle. She rose from her seated position and moved swiftly while beckoning her companion.
She thought back on the fight docket she had seen at the rest area adjacent to the center most field. It had reminded her of a flight monitor and announced which matches were scheduled next.
"Let''s go check out that Snorlax versus Swalot on the far lot," she said as a way of excuse.
She heard grumbling behind her, but soon Gabite was at her side.
"Ite, gab," the Pokemon bargained, having seen through her intent of avoiding battle.
"No." Tanya quickly shot down that request. "Unless you want to walk into a Pokemon Center alone and risk getting captured." This ruse of theirs was tenuous and would not hold up under close inspection. She only allowed it to maintain a working relationship with the Pokemon''s family. "Besides, we''ll need you fresh in case of trouble tonight."
After sunset, they were meeting up with the others and then taking a trip to experience the Lumiose underworld. The punks had talked it up quite a bit, and she was eager to see if there was any truth to their tales. She would not be relying on Gabite for protection but giving her the ''task'' mollified her for.
"Why are you even still in the city?" Tanya asked after noticing the trainer approaching them had given up their pursuit. "You''ve made no secret of your displeasure here."
Gabite did not like humans or anything that was produced by them. Every other comment she made was complaining about something in the city. Which left Tanya wondering why she had persisted in staying instead of going home.
The dragon bared her teeth, and Tanya took that to mean the line of questioning was not appreciated. She found herself wishing Ralts was present; she''d be able to understand more about the minefield that Gabite was.
They made it to the next match and were simply standing on the sidelines when Gabite finally responded.
"Ite, bite," she said almost reluctantly.
It was a bit amusing that, despite all their power, Pokemon were not the dominant species of the world. Humans tended to coexist with them, but their settlements grew while the opposite was rarely true.
"I''m not sure the city will teach you anything about how to better protect your pack."
Tanya couldn''t relate, at least not fully. Her quest for power was to ensure her comfort and well-being. The safety of others only factored in contingent on what benefit they provided her. Her team clearly fit under that umbrella, despite how rambunctious they could be. The pack came off as different to her; she would not want to dedicate a large portion of her life protecting eggs and hatchlings just because they shared something as mundane as blood.
Gabite gave her a strange look, and Tanya took that as disagreement.
"It''s not that there is nothing to be learned by watching; if there wasn''t, we wouldn''t be here right now," Tanya argued her case. "But simply observing something isn''t enough. Take a car, for example. You''ve seen them travel down the road, but do you know what they are actually capable of or what they require to continuously function?" It was a rhetorical question, and she continued. "In order to properly assess something, you need to experience it yourself." Obviously, she was not suggesting the dragon attempt to earn her driving lesson. "And it''s not vehicles you need to worry about; it''s trainers."
She left it at that, feeling nothing else needed to be said. Even as a human, she encountered numerous roadblocks as a result of being an unregistered trainer. There was no realistic way a Pokemon could experience that, even if Mawile joked about rotating the trainer position.
Tanya even considered assigning Mawile the task of sourcing their supplies, if only to make her understand the headache it caused. However, she would never act on it, because in that scenario, the possibility of having to subsist on marshmallows alone for a week was non-zero.
"Given your sensibilities," Tanya followed up, thinking about the dragon''s sense of honor. "There are also things out of your reach, no matter how hard you train."
Even if she knew about how fragile humans were without their logistic support, would the dragon accept such a roundabout method of dealing with the issue? This Pokemon was more likely to attempt to charge the bulldozer than realize filling their fuel supply with water was the better solution.
"This battle is underwhelming," Tanya commented on the poor display in front of her. The two in front of her looked more likely to join an eating contest than fight in earnest. "Let''s check the docket again; if there''s nothing else interesting, we''ll call it there."
Tanya noticed, once again, people''s eyes being attracted to her. If it wasn''t for the Pokemon, she imagined it would have been significantly less. Should she see about getting her a disguise?
She shook her head, letting the idea fade away. There was no way something like that would pass muster.
When they called it the Lumiose underworld, she did not expect it to be literally underground.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Pretty sick, right?" Faust asked.
He was leading the way with a flashlight. The tunnel they traveled through was narrow, which was not much of a problem for her or the skinny punks, but Gabite had some issues squeezing through the passage. Luckily, her skin was tough, and more often than not, the damp limestone that made up the walls broke in the way of her.
The entrance has been innocuous. They had just lifted a metal maintenance hatch in a random alley and then started going down the stairs. It had gone some meters deep before leading them to a passage like the one they now find themselves in. They''d gone through a number of them already, each one of them snaking their way through the ground. With the maze-like structure, part of Tanya suspected this to be a trap. But given Ralts'' reassurances and Gabite''s ability to tunnel through the ground, she was not overly concerned.
"They are something," Tanya commented, her hand brushing the stone. "Where do they originate from?"
If not for the lack of skulls, she would have thought them an exact analog to the Paris catacombs. She''d never visited them herself, but she''d known enough about them. Any network of tunnels sitting underneath your occupation forces was a cause for concern.
"I dunno," Faust replied without any shame and then looked back to the punk bringing up their rear. "Any idea?"
Lillian limped behind them, using one hand to support herself on the wall and the other to hold her hair together so it wouldn''t get caught on any protruding rock. The pair of them had some painkillers squirreled away that they''d taken. That, along with the medical care provided by Ralts, meant they were not hampered too much.
"Fuck if I know," the girl grumbled. "Does it matter? They''ve been here since forever."
She had forgotten for a moment that she was dealing with two delinquents. They most likely dropped out of school or had forgotten anything taught to them. Why else would they be attempting to do something as petty as shakedown children?
Tanya didn''t bother to explain why knowing the history of places you visited was important. It wasn''t her responsibility to instruct them.
A sense of affirmation came from Ralts, who traveled slightly ahead of her. She must have been confirming again that this wasn''t a trap.
Ralts was the only member of her team out right now. Carbink and Mawile were on hand, if in their balls, while Mimikyu had been left at the bike shop with the duty of keeping the rest of her stash safe. Traveling into a den of criminality with all of her belongings was simply asking for trouble.
Ahead, a murmur of activity started to make itself known. It grew as they approached, and Faust dove under a low doorway before stepping to the side. Tanya followed after him and paused at the threshold, taking in what was up ahead.
The room was fashioned in a semicircle with curved, meter-wide rows of stone facing a far wall. Each level was depressed from the last until meeting at the ground level, where a collection of tables and tarps had been set up. They were tightly packed, and she could hear both customers and sellers argue with each other while haggling over prices. Lights dangled overhead on a series of strings crisscrossing the ceiling. Past the lights, she saw little balls of blue fur. Woobats, a psychic type. The hum of generators could be heard, and she spotted two Voltorbs hooked up to a power conduit, providing them with energy. Flanking the bottom area, were a pair of large stone statues. They were inert, and she realized that the entire structure was an amphitheater from a bygone era.
The wall bordering the stage had a large mural. It was faded but looked to have been a red bird. It was hovering above a wasteland devoid of life. Was that a Moltres? The colors and shape seemed wrong, and yet she could remember seeing something like it before.
"Sheesh," Faust began walking down the large steps. "Packed today. Must be some good stuff."
The setups of the various vendors looked temporary to her, and a large majority simply laid their goods on the ground over tarps. She imagined that was so they could quickly scoop up their merchandise if the need arose.
"Do the authorities not know of this?" She asked a very logical question. It wasn''t a massive collection of people, but there were easily three dozen criminals conversing here. "Have there been any raids?"
The punks shared a look, wordlessly asking if the other knew. These idiots clearly had never heard of the word sting before.
"Dangerous talk there, little Missy." A man, having overheard them, approached. He wore brown leader pants and boots with spurs. They matched the vest he wore along with his hat. "See here," the man spoke while chewing on a stalk of wheat. "That type of talk makes folk nervous. And they''re a hard enough herd to wrangle on a good day. Now I don''t need you spooking them, you hear?"
Was this some sort of cosplay, or had she met a genuine cowboy underneath a Francois city? This world made no sense.
"Apologies, I didn''t intend as such." Tanya wasted no time in de-escalating any potential conflict. "I''m new here, and I would prefer to limit the amount of risk I expose myself to."
She''d been cautious enough to don a disguise coming down here. A beanie covered her head, and she wore an old sweater and baggy jeans. She had borrowed them from Lillian, and they gave her a suitable street-kid appearance. Unfortunately, the dragon still stuck out like a sore thumb.
"That I can appreciate." He chewed on his stalk, and dark eyes traveled to each of them. "To put you at ease, the League has better things to do than chasing a bunch of free spirits in these tunnels. And whenever one of them does get a hankering to do something stupid, well, let''s just say we got money in the right pockets." He held out a hand. "Names Cody."
"I go by Visha," Tanya responded, shaking the hand cordially.
The cowboy''s face tightened, and he ended the handshake, bringing the hand to his side and flexing it.
"Quite the grip there," he muttered before gesturing towards a hanging wooden plank. "Anyway, rules are simple. Floor space is open to rent, and there''s a ten percent tax on all goods sold. If you barter, the renter pays the tax. And if you go around waving something you want to trade rather than renting a spot, one of my posse will fix you up real quick. Got it?"
She read the plank, seeing it matched with what Cody had said. Satisfied, she nodded while discreetly casting her sight over the theatre, counting the number of cowboy hat-wearing men and women in attendance. They looked to cover the exits and their limited infrastructure.
Say what you would about organized crime, but at least they were organized.
"Understood. You have an impressive establishment here," she agreed while lathering on flattery.
Had she been in charge, she would have added more ventilation and made more efficient use of the floor space available. Still, they''d done good work with what they had. The value of a neutral ground to trade and settle disagreements was immense. Had she been a wannabe crime lord, she would have fostered good relations with them on the surface while subverting key individuals to her side to enact a coup when the time was right.
But she wasn''t, so she bid the man farewell and descended the few more steps needed to enter the market. Someone approached Faust, and the two seemed acquainted. After getting a nod of approval from her, he separated to discuss something with them.
Left with Lillian and Ralts, she browsed the market. Both the people and the goods.
Much of the crowd looked like older versions of her escorts, shaggier in appearance and worn down by life. A few seemed shrewder, eyeing everything critically and keeping to themselves. The goods themselves were a myriad of things. Seeing medical items on sale made her feel a tad foolish, but at the end of the day, learning how to concoct them herself was the better move. Otherwise, she would be tied down to the city and unreliable sellers.
Most of the offerings were related to Pokemon, and she found herself dissatisfied at the lack of firearms present. She refused to believe there was not a single one in the city.
''Mama'', Ralts tugged on her pant leg. ''Don''t like.''
She pointed to a man leering in her direction from behind a desk. He was a gaunt figure, with sunken cheeks and a scraggly white beard. He noticed her attention, and he gave a yellow smile, missing teeth on display. A finger curled, and he beckoned her closer.
"Fucking Herb," Lillian cursed. "He''s a creep but harmless. Give him a smile, and he usually knocks a bit off what he''s hawking. Or he does for me at least."
The girl shrugged, seemingly at ease despite the harsh words. Her opinion didn''t matter as much as Ralts'' did, but what was on his table caught her eye, and she approached anyway.
"Battle items?" She questioned, inspecting the various objects out for display. There were no signs, and so she was left guessing for most. It wasn''t a subject she was well versed in, which made it difficult.
"Held items," he corrected, with a croaky voice. She noticed he''d not taken his eyes off of her companion, who scoffed. "If you want those one-offs, I''m sure someone around here has them. But these are held items. The genuine articles as well, you won''t find any better above ground, believe me."
It was an odd collection, and one would be forgiven for thinking it came straight out of a trash can. There was a leek, a half-eaten apple, a bone, a piece of charcoal, sunglasses, and a bent spoon. At this proximity, she could feel each emit a certain energy, telling her the seller was telling some measure of truth.
These were like that Slik Scarf Theo''s Furfrou had been equipped with. They were useful items that granted benefits of some kind.
"How about a Twisted Spoon for the Ralts?" He tapped the utensil and waved a hand, offering for her to take it.
Tanya gingerly reached out, and when her fingers touched it, a pressure in her skull was felt. It was like her brain had outgrown her skull and wanted out. The spoon glowed purple before slipping from her grip and traveling to Ralts who held it with both hands. She swung it once experimentally and then felt around its tip.
''Dull.'' She provided her determination with a level of disappointment.
That may be so, but Tanya could feel the change in the Pokemon''s energy. It wasn''t a small change, feeling more vibrant than before.
"How much?" She inquired, not seeing any prices.
The man didn''t respond immediately, his eyes tracing to her bag.
"Depends on what''s in there."
She pondered for a moment and then reached inside. The used TMs were retrieved first, and then the Protect and Earthquake.
At the final disk, his eyes lit up and his hand twitched as if holding himself back from snatching it away.
"Good find, good fine," he repeated, putting his hand in his pocket and retrieving a small handheld device. He pointed it at the disk, and it beeped with each one. "The spent ones are worth little, but I''ll gladly take that Earthquake off your hands."
He was eager¡ªtoo eager. It felt like she was about to be suckered into a deal.
"Hold it," her companion said, hand on her hip and leaning forward. "That move is way pricier than some dumb spoon. Throw in the Black Glasses."
The second she said it, the girl blinked and then leaned back, crossing her arms against her stomach and holding them tight. Interesting; it seemed the girl had negotiated off of instinct.
Herb shook his head, his sagging skin moving left and right.
"I''m running a business here; I can''t be giving away these things so lightly. What else you got?"
Tanya did not know how much these items were worth, but she had selected several mundane items she was willing to part with. Watches, casino chips, and other worthless bits of jewelry were deposited on the table. The action drew several eyes, and Gabite gave a low growl of warning to them.
Good, at least she was good for something.
"Who''d you two rob?" The man asked, taking out a spectacle and inspecting the watches. "Hmm, definitely a rich mark. Good on you. Always a profitable trade that."
He chuckled to himself while inspecting the rest of it. Smacking his lips, he looked to the ceiling and mumbled before doing some math out of her view.
"Chips are as good as cash; other stuff, I''m only willing to go to a third market price." His voice rose, and he gestured toward the other sellers. "And feel free to ask these lot for any better, but you won''t find anyone willing to top my bid. Two held items for everything there, what do you say?"
He held out a hand, but she didn''t shake it.
"I''m looking for methods of self-defense as well. For my personal use, not the teams. Something with some stopping power."
Herb looked to be taken aback by the question. He glanced at Tanya''s companion, who''d taken a step away from her and held up her hands, as if saying she wanted no part of this. Tanya didn''t let anything change on her face, displaying that it was a serious request.
The ends of his lips quirked up, and Herb stood up, announcing in a loud voice.
"Hey!" Various people stopped their haggling and turned. "Anyone here got a gun? The lass wants one."
A raucous laughter overpowered the background hum of the generators as the black market participants sent jeers and generally unhelpful comments. Pleased with himself, Herb sat back down on his stool and shook his head.
"We ain''t got any of that." Tanya placed a hand on Ralts'' head, stroking the Pokemon and preventing her from stabbing the man for the offense he''d just committed. "What do we look like, poachers?"
Cowboys without guns? She wasn''t sure if she believed that, but none looked eager to approach her and offer a deal. Still, a lead had been dropped there.
"Where do I find them?" Tanya asked. She hadn''t raised her voice, and with the crowd still enjoying themselves at her expense, it was lost. She slammed a hand on the man''s table, accidentally splintering it in two and causing Herb to jump in his seat. "The poachers," she reiterated while secretly hoping she''d not be charged for the table. "Where do I find them?"
Chapter 32
Old memories rose out of the depths of her mind. They were from early in her first life, back when she didn''t know how to properly act around people. Children were strange creatures, and she''d often said things that offended their fragile sensibilities. Thankfully, a quick chat with an authority figure was usually enough to have them understand she was at no fault. This should end the same way.
She''d been led down the hall into a side room that looked to be a cross between a storage room and office. Roughly the size of one of the taxis she saw above ground, it was a cramped space. The crates stacked along the walls did little to help. She was sitting on a small one herself. Across from her was Cody sitting on his own, and between them was a bigger bog with a tarp covering it, functioning as a desk.
Gabite was waiting in the hall, and a nervous Lillian was seated to her right. In between them sat Ralts on her own crate. It was a poor use of their limited space, and she would prefer the Pokemon to be on her lap. However, the psychic had been adamant about needing her own seat, and so, not wanting to cause another scene, Tanya gave into her demands.
"See," Cody opened up. He was still chewing that stalk of wheat. "I know it wasn''t on that sign of ours, but normal folk know not to go pissing on their neighbor''s Tauros."
It was a strange idiom, but she understood the meaning.
Tanya leveled a steady gaze on the man, the seconds drawing out as she thought of a response.
Being a small child had its advantages. It meant she could point at her apparent age and be forgiven for any manner of mistakes. However, given she was trying to procure a firearm, reinforcing her childish image would be counterintuitive. She was also dealing with criminals and should assume any apology at this juncture would be taken as a sign of weakness. Which was a shame, because she truly had not meant to break the vendor''s table and scatter his belongings. She was simply trying to be heard.
''Mama strong,'' Ralts supplied, offering unneeded commentary.
This was not a debate about physical strength. They weren''t brutes that solved every problem with violence. Matters like these were best resolved by words alone.
Tanya was conscious of the building tension in the room but thought it a worthwhile tradeoff to have a carefully crafted response. Her human companion clearly did not feel the same way and began fidgeting in her spot. Not wanting to be undermined by her actions, Tanya finally broke the silence.
"I made an inquiry in good faith and was met with a lack of respect. Would you stand for the same in my place?"
She was playing to her audience. With his demeanor and occupation, there was little chance he would take the slight himself. Forcing him to think in those terms would make him unconsciously sympathetic to her situation.
''Assist?'' The question echoed in her head. She didn''t respond, knowing that a lack of affirmation would have Ralts infer denial. She was not opposed to having the Pokemon manipulate the emotions of criminals to her benefit, but that wasn''t something to be tested now. They needed to practice under controlled settings. The problem was finding volunteers to have their minds tampered with.
"No, but around these parts, I''m the head honcho." Cody responded with a deep voice, the crate creaking under his weight as he shifted forward. He placed a meaty hand on the desk as his burly form loomed over it. "What are you?"
Tanya would never allow such a cheap tactic to cow her. The same could not be said about Lillian, but rather than look intimidated by it, she rubbed her shin and gave the man a look of pity. It might have been her imagination, but she thought the girl might have leaned away from Ralts as well.
''Educate?''
An image of herself slamming Cody''s face through his desk appeared in her mind. She shoved it aside. His words were a deliberate challenge. He was probing for her reaction and would adjust if needed. It was just another negotiation tactic.
Tanya did not entertain the idea of a fight. Her team was powerful, but she was in enemy territory and surrounded. Any fight had the potential to bury them alive. Gabite would be of great use there, but the entire thing was far more trouble than it was worth. Evaluating the risk versus reward was paramount in business and life.
There was no need for violence; all she needed to do was firmly state her position and appeal to reason.
"A customer," she responded simply. Her tone was neutral, almost apathetic. It certainly didn''t have the fear or cowardice he was fishing for. "A disappointed one at that. I was led to believe this was a venue where I could conduct transactions of equal value." Her words caused a narrowing of his eyes and she continued. "However, that''s the risk when you let contractors in."
She gave him an out, letting him blame the whole thing on someone else. He didn''t change his posture, but his eyes slowly glanced toward the door and then back to her. Oh, was he worried about Gabite? Personally, she thought the diminutive Pokemon next to her was the bigger threat, but she moved to put him at ease.
"To clarify." Tanya was not looking to cause any misunderstanding. "I would not concern myself with Gabite."
Poorly trained or not, the Pokemon should not start a fight with the members of his posse outside. Or she hoped that was the case. There was a limit she was willing to put up with and that would see the dragon reach it.
"Is that so?" He asked evenly, his eyes judging the veracity of her claims. They moved to Ralts'' next, and she wasn''t sure what he found, but the crate creaked again as he leaned back. "Then I''ll have a man-to-man with Herb and make sure he knows not to run his mouth like that."
That was a reasonable response-
"And you''re banned for a month."
The frank declaration rankled her. She''d just been introduced to this place and hadn''t even begun exploring possibilities. Still, as inconvenient as it was, she could see the justification. Some action needed to be taken in order to maintain their reputation. She doubted he would deny her use of proxies. Lillian was with her at the time, so she might not work, but Faust had split early on. Tanya had thought about collecting him before this impromptu meeting, but Ralts had lobbied otherwise. His presence was unlikely to add any value and so she''d agreed swiftly.
"Acceptable," Tanya responded with a nod. "However, I would like to complete the previously agreed upon transaction."
Leaving empty-handed would put a sour taste in her mouth. At the very least, she wanted Ralts to have that spoon. Tanya''s eyes shifted to the Pokemon, noticing her hand had twitched as if to reach out to her, but the action had been aborted.
Cody hummed, the bass of his voice filling their small space up. Looking back at him, she couldn''t help noticing parts of the mural behind him. It had that same bird-like figure from outside.
"We can arrange item trade," Cody said after a moment. There was another pause and his next words came out almost cautious. "What use does a little missy like you have for old iron?"
There was not a second of hesitation in her reply.
"Self-defense."
''Self-defense.''
The thought overlapped with her words, and it took her a moment to realize Ralts had come to the same conclusion.
Of course, preemptive self-defense was a valid tactic. She didn''t think they would be all that useful against Pokemon, but trainers were the weak point. If she were to be cornered by some of Team Flare''s more competent members, then a rifle would be a great equalizer.
"Right," Cody drawled. It didn''t seem like he believed her. "Well, lucky for you, my posse is a big believer in freedom of choice. That''s why we set up this place. No reason to let some faraway people tell us what we can or can''t sell."
The words struck a chord with her. Had she somehow stumbled upon a sane group of like-minded individuals in this strange world?
"But," he said the word she was hoping to not hear. "The league''s not the only ones who will be after your hide; normal folk don''t like them around either. It''s just not good business touting them around unless you''re already on everyone''s wanted list. Like them poachers Herb mentioned."
Societal taboos and government restrictions. That tilted the scale slightly. Not enough to deter her, but she would take great care to conceal her possession of it.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Is that a refusal?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. He was tiptoeing around it, and she was eager to get a solid answer.
He studied her, much like he''d been doing this whole time. It was getting irritating. Other than her identity, she was not trying to hide anything.
"South of Route 7, a fellow by the name of Dolan might have what you need. I''ll warn you, he won''t be in the trading mood."
''Irrelevant.''
Agreed, they''d take it if needed. She recalled where Route 7 was. That was south west of here, past Route 5 and Camphrier Town. Route 5 was where her collection errand was, so perhaps she should make it a longer trip and push further. It was something to think about, but there was another problem.
"Route 7 is a large area to cover; is there anyway you can narrow it down?
She was prepared to pay should he request it. That was the level of importance she assigned to acquiring a means to properly defend herself.
"He sells Vivillon. I''d start by searching for them. They''re not native to the route, that should help you out some."
It did. Especially when she was able to ask the denizens of the forest where she might find them. Yes, that could work. She wondered why he was open with the information now, but maybe he sought to reconcile their relationship.
"Thank you; I''ll be sure to pay him a visit." Satisfied, she made to leave when her curiosity got the better of her. "Do you know what that painting behind you depicts?"
Tanya could have sworn she''d seen it before. She just could not place where at the moment.
"Hmm?" Cody turned, looking at the mural. "Ah, yeah, I reckoned that was a Galarian Moltres when I first saw it. A strange fellow came around a while back and set me straight. That there is Yveltal, and we''re sitting in a small chapel dedicated to it. Apparently, the folks back then had this idea that when it woke up, it would signal the end of the world."
Legends of Kalos¡ªthat was the book she''d seen it from. The same book that was signed by Lysandre.
''Eliminate.''
Tanya hoped she was referring to the man and not the legendary.
Learning that the doomsday cult you were investigating might actually have a way to end the world was a startling realization. Tanya was not one to panic over it, but it did give her more to think about. Rationally, if a single Pokemon could end the world, it would have already occurred. Then, even if it did have the capability, who was Team Flare to control it? No, the most likely explanation is that the ancients embellished their accounts. That did not mean she was ready to dismiss the claims entirely. Folk tales tended to have grains of truth in them, and it was probably that this Yveltal would be a great power.
She could not let it fall into Team Flare''s hands. Fortunately, if the map she found in Louis'' hotel room was any indication, they weren''t having any luck finding it. However, the mere risk was too much to just sit on the information.
The league had to be informed, compromised or not, she needed to at minimum plant the idea that the legendary might pose a threat. Which meant passing a message to a high ranking league member. Electronic correspondence was likely compromised, and a physical letter might be ignored. That left her with more direct methods of communication. She had the beginnings of a plan¡ªthe who, when, and how¡ªbut she was not about to rush its implementation. That was how mistakes occurred.
Those thoughts in mind, they''d returned to their new base for the night. With Mimikyu keeping guard, there had been no need to worry, but it was still nice to return to the place as they''d left it. Well, almost exactly as they left it. One of the tables had been knocked on its side, and there was a dent the size of a basketball in one of the lockers, but nothing had been missing.
Their cleaning had produced minor if noticeable results. The floors had been swept and mopped, although it looked like they had missed a stain or two. She couldn''t begrudge them, as she hadn''t noticed them earlier.
She had added storage containers to her mental shopping list; they''d better organize the gear left behind. She would also need to go through the collected tools and see if anything was salvageable. It would take some doing, but she might be able to use what was around to fashion more tools for herself. She would need them for any infiltration.
There were many things to do in the coming week, but for now, Tanya was resting in a corner on her sleeping pad. Though sleeping was not on the menu yet, despite her soft and even breaths making it seem like she might drift off any second.
Meditation was not a skill she could claim to possess. She was no stranger to pausing and evaluating her situation, but that was not the same as clearing your mind. It had always seemed a useless endeavor to her. Why waste your time doing nothing when you could be strategizing about the future? She didn''t find any use for it when practicing magic, as the calculations she had to perform were mentally stimulating.
Aura was not magic. It functioned on a different, and in her opinion, inferior system. There was no use whining or griping about the change and it wasn''t like her old formulas were completely useless. All she had to do was buckle down and do the work. That was an area she''d never shied away from.
And so she was left here meditating with a stone held between her palms. It wasn''t the first time she had tried unlocking the secrets of the Keystone, and with how things were going, it wouldn''t be the last time. Infusing her aura into it had been simple; it readily took to it, unlike her blade, which would only accept the move Cut being applied. From there, it seemed to broadcast her aura, amplifying it in some way. She was hoping the interaction could let her get a better grasp on both the stone and her aura. The idea wasn''t without merit either, as her feeling over the energy was sharper than before.
A metallic scrape jarred her back into the present, and she opened her eyes. Toward the center of the room knelt Ralts. She was holding the spoon horizontally with both hands and moving its lip up and down a flat piece of stone she''d acquired from somewhere.
"Are you sure that won''t damage its capabilities?" She asked for the third time. They wouldn''t be getting a second Twisted Spoon. "Remember, it''s not a-" She''d about to say toy, but considering Ralts was sharpening it into a knife, that felt inappropriate. "Just come over here and join me for now."
She was normally good at tuning out background noise, but this meditation business was tougher than she would have liked, and so she wanted to make the situation as optimal as possible. Ralts got up, padding over and going for their pack. She retrieved her Mega Stone and then wiggled her way into Tanya''s lap.
Why now was an acceptable time to sit in her lap, and before wasn''t, was a mystery to her.
Tanya was about to resume her practice when a bang was heard. Mawile, who had been standing on a table, was now lying spread eagle on the floor.
"What did I say about wearing those indoors?" She had tried the glasses herself, and while she was sure they would be fine in the daylight, she could barely see two feet in front of her at the time. "Take it outside if you want to wear them."
She would not have any more luck out there, but at least she''d not risk destroying stuff in here.
"Wile," Mawile conceded a bit too easily, pushing herself up. Her hands brushed off her coat, and then she bent down to pick up her new hat, blowing on it before gently placing it on her head.
Back when Tanya was raiding the hotel suite, it had been what she used to carry some of the chips. It was a black dandy hat with a red cloth stripe and matching feather. Gaudy or hideous were both apt terms to describe it. Tanya hadn''t meant to gift it yet, but in sorting through the remainder of what they''d taken, Mawile had spotted it. She knew a losing battle when she saw one, and Tanya surrendered the monstrosity to the little wrecking ball.
Her spine had been nearly snapped in two by the resulting hug, and her face had become beet red during the verbal beat down she''d delivered to the Pokemon right after. With that gift delivered, she now had to rush to find presents for the rest of them. Anything else might foster dissension in the ranks.
"Ma?" Mawile asked a strange question. Her eyes were far too innocent, but she didn''t see the harm in allowing it.
"Take Faust if you want, but bring him back in one piece." Had they bonded while she was gone? Weird as it was, she did not feel threatened by it. Something inside her told her Mawile would never leave her. At the thought, a headache started to form, and she waved a hand out. "Be responsible; don''t get caught doing anything."
She had to lower the bar considering who was involved. Ralts could have been sent as a minder again, but it felt more appropriate to have her stay where she was. It would be wrong to overburden her after all.
Tanya settled back into her meditation. Feeding more aura into the stone, the process was the same until she felt a tug. It was the slightest thing, but she opened her eyes and saw a dim glow from the Mega Stone in Ralts'' possession. Her horn was lit up as well, and Tanya made sure not to move a muscle while she watched the events play out.
Eventually, Ralts'' good posture gave out, and she rested her back against Tanya.
''Mother,'' the Pokemon sent over, somehow conveying it to her as a whisper. ''Bed.''
Ralts turned on her side, curling into her while cradling the stone. Mother was not any better than Mama, and with a sigh, she stroked the Pokemon''s hair. Did she have to fall asleep right on top of her? Now she was stuck.
She carefully set the Keystone aside, not wanting to wake Ralts with it interfering with the Mega Stone again. Closing her eyes again, she managed to meditate for a few seconds before something cold impacted her left cheek. Her hand instinctively reached out, catching the stone before it hit the ground.
The pitch-black rock felt oddly at home in her hand. Knowing it was meant to evolve certain Pokemon, she had not experimented much with it. An errant thought had her reach out to it with her aura, the strange energy held within the stone brushing up against her. It was not aura; that much was clear. She tried to draw it out, linking it with her aura and nudging it out of the stone.
Tanya frowned at the lack of cooperation from the inanimate object. It seemed stubborn. Her eyes turned back to who had thrown it at her.
Mimikyu innocently sat against the wall, and she silently mouthed a question.
"What am I supposed to do with this?"
It hadn''t been thrown to her for no reason, and she had a feeling Mimikyu knew more than what he was letting on. An ear flopped down, pointing toward the door.
She raised an eyebrow in response and then glanced down. Sensing her predicament, his shadow stretched out and slowly wormed its way in between her and Ralts. Tanya carefully scooted back, letting him support the psychic Pokemon. Once free, she got up with the stone in hand and paced toward the door. Tanya pushed it open and instantly felt a surge from the stone.
It felt like she was almost being pulled somewhere, and her head tilted toward the source. The night was cloudy, but through them, she could just make out the crescent moon staring down at her.
Duh, it was called a moonstone. Why had she not thought of this before?
Pulling on the energy again, something felt different. It was more animated than before, and rather than act as separate entities, her aura started to merge with it. No, that wasn''t quite right; it was more like it took on properties from the energy in the stone.
She drew it out and felt the contaminated aura begin to act on its own accord. To her alarm, it was expelled from her skin. All at once, her sun-tanned skin began to take on a whiter hue. She ran back inside, her breathing having kicked up a notch.
Holding her hand out, she noticed how it almost seemed to light up the surroundings. She stared at the stone angrily. She was sure there was some benefit to this, but for now, it looked like it had just made her a glow-in-the-dark sticker.
Chapter 33
Mawile skipped along the street, her coat bouncing up and down with each movement. Life was good. She had a new move, a hat that matched her awesomeness, and these funny-feeling glasses.
What more could she want?
Everything, of course. Because why settle for life being good when it could be great? Hmmm, no. Great wasn''t enough either. It had to be the best.
Because as Mawile, she deserved nothing less.
She already had the best human. Lil''Boss'' actual humanity was irrelevant; the other humans believed she was one of them, so it counted.
Thankfully for the world, Mawile wasn''t in any enormous rush to claim it all for herself. That would be boring, but that didn''t mean she would sit around and do nothing.
A sly grin came to her face. She''d totally pulled one over Lil''Boss. How could she think that someone as amazing as her, Mawile, could faceplant off a table? No, it was all orchestrated! A carefully crafted ruse to get permission to stalk the city''s night. She totally didn''t lose her balance and fall for real. That would be so uncool, and Mawile was the coolest.
Thanks to her little trick, she was out here, while Princess was stuck at the base. Which was for the best, as babies needed their rest. It was tough sometimes, having to not only be the big girl but also the favorite. Oh, sure, Princess thought she was the favorite, but that''s just because she didn''t know any better. Mawile was the one who provoked the most emotion from Lil''Boss; ergo, she was the favorite. She would have explained it to Ralts, however, what type of big girl would argue with a baby? No, it was better to let her think whatever she wanted.
There was huffing behind her, and a voice called out.
"Yo, can we slow down?" Her minion asked. She wasn''t sure he knew that''s what he was, but he did know the pecking order. Which was Mawile on top, then her team, and everyone else, far, far below.
She considered his request and decided a tired minion was a bad minion. Mawile steadily lowered the power in each bounce, transitioning to a brisk walk. An idea occurred to her, and she started moving her head, searching the alleyways.
"Thanks," Minion A said in an unsure manner. She gave a friendly smile in reply, making sure to display her greater maw''s row of teeth.
Mawile was not as bad as Deviant, but she did enjoy the slight hitch in the boy''s step at the sight of her alabaster fangs.
Finding what she was looking for, she dashed into an alley. Standing under the fire escape, she bent her legs and gave a light jump, landing on the raised ladder. Using her weight, she bobbed up and down, forcing the metal construct to the ground for her minion''s usage.
With that done, she scampered up the rest of it, climbing up to the roof of the three-story building. Stepping onto the flat top, her feet brought her to the edge. Ahead of her sat the city.
Her city, whether it knew it or not. It was pretty, glistening in the night. A tall spire of metal and lights was at its center. She decided that would be a good place for her office in the future. What she would do with an office was a problem for future Mawile.
The groan of the metal railing behind her alerted her to Minion A''s arrival. Good, she hadn''t climbed up here for no reason. There was an air-conditioning unit, and she hopped on top of it, sweeping a hand over the city.
"Ma, wile, mawile," she addressed her lesser, extolling her greatness and plans for the future. "Wile, ma, wile!"
She finished with a clenched fist raised to the sky. Had she nailed that? It felt like she nailed that. Which was good, as this part was super important. Lil''Boss said so herself, always talking about how organizations had to have clear goals.
"I-." Her minion was, suitably, at a loss for words. "Have no idea what you''re saying."
Right, not all humans could be as perfect as hers. It was easy to forget that. She grabbed him, hauling him off the ledge and shaking him a bit.
"Okay, okay!" He yelled out. "Whatever you said goes!"
Hmm, did she believe him? Maybe she shouldn''t have left Princess behind. It wasn''t that she couldn''t get to the truth herself. In fact, the list of things she couldn''t do amounted to zero. It was more¡how did Lil''Boss call it? Right, comparative advantage. Mawile was amazing at everything, but her time and effort were too valuable to do everything. It was best to stick to what she was super amazing at and let others fill in the gaps for her.
Studying Minion A''s face, she determined he was telling the truth. She tossed him behind her, hearing how he hit the roof, and rolled some before coming to a stop. Her eyes scanned the city, looking for something to do.
Any and all obstacles in her path inevitably found themselves destroyed, but some were more stubborn about it than others. In this case, it was the sheer breadth of choices she had.
Her life before Lil''Boss had been simple and extremely boring. Each day had been scheduled down to the minute. She hadn''t even realized how stifling it had been until taking off with Lil''Boss. That day was now etched into her memory. It was the day she realized an empirical truth.
A fairy could not be contained by man. They were free. Free to do what they wanted, whenever they wanted.
She crossed her arms, stomping her foot down.
Why was being free so hard!? She just wanted to go back home and cuddle-eh, watch over Lil''Boss. Mawile shook her head, slapping her cheeks. No, she was a big girl. Which meant she had to do big things.
"Wile, ma," she turned and ordered her minion.
He raised his hands in preemptive surrender.
"I still don''t know what you''re saying."
She had hit a speed bump. That was to say, nothing she would slow down for. She approached faster than the man could react and grabbed him. Holding his arm, she ran towards the edge and leaped.
The yell he gave was funny, and she hit the next roof. It was a story lower and slanted, causing her to almost stumble on her way. The extra weight she was hauling didn''t help either. She didn''t let that dissuade her, and her feet ate up the tiles, and she took flight again.
Rooftop from rooftop, she traversed the city.
Her minion''s yelling eventually died out, lessening her enjoyment. At a certain point, he started to struggle more than normal, prompting her to stop. She dropped him, allowing him a second to catch his breath. Just a second though, and she kicked him to get a proper answer. Sat on the roof, he raised a finger, still trying to recover. She smacked her fists together, and he finally realized oxygen should not be his primary concern.
"We''re about to enter pod territory again. Ralts warned us off there. She wanted to get a better handle on the city before doing anything."
That was like her, planning and plotting for things. Mawile wasn''t that kind of girl. A trick or two was fine, but plotting? Way too much trouble for no reward. Why make a big old plan when you can just headbutt them with your jaw?
From her vantage point, she surveyed her future kingdom. It wasn''t easy to see, but she could hear some interlopers nearby. It sounded like a group. She didn''t know if they were with the people Minion A was worried about, but there was an easy way to find out.
"Hey, what are you-" She grabbed him again and jumped down, landing on the street a little away from the collection of humans. "Doing¡"
Mawile released him again and took in the group. They were a motley group of teens or young adults. She could never tell the two apart. They were seated on the steps of a building, smoking and glaring at her.
"The fuck do you think you''re doing here?" One of them stood, the Whirlipede by his feet stirring. "Hey, isn''t that Faust? I thought Vin and Hue were going to deal with him?"Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The names were unknown to her. They were probably the visitors Deviant dealt with. She examined the three humans and their Pokemon, a Skiddo and a Muk.
Boring. Way too boring.
Lil''Boss'' words came to her. These small fries weren''t really worth her attention. She needed a real fight, and soon. That Skarmory hadn''t been bad, but with Gem by her side, it didn''t stand a chance, which made total sense.
She was Mawile.
Alone, she was a threat impossible to ignore. With her team? They were an unstoppable force of pure badass. Mawile made up like 95% of that but the other 5% helped. The only thing she could think of that would put up a meaningful challenge would be going against one of the old ones.
Hmm, now there was an idea¡
Alas, for now, she had to punch down.
"Honestly, man," her minion spoke, scratching the back of his head. "I''m not sure what''s going on. I''m just along for the ride."
The group''s supposed leader, Victim A, got up, hands still in his pocket.
"Sure, you are buddy," he sneered at them. "Then who''s in charge?"
A hand pointed at her, earning a round of laughs. Huh, hadn''t this happened to Lil''Boss recently? Keeping track of the outside while in her cozy ball was tough, but she thought it had.
Lil''Boss had taken it on the chin. Mawile would take it on theirs.
"Wile!" She declared her intent with a toothy smile. The humans looked at her strangely, but the Pokemon? They understood and shifted, tension flooding their bodies. "Ma, wile, ile."
There. Now if Lil''Boss somehow learned about this, she could say with the utmost honesty that she''d warned them and given them a chance to run. It wasn''t her fault they didn''t speak Mawile.
"I don''t like the look on that Mawile," Victim B, a man to her left, muttered while rising. He was the Skiddo trainer. "Yo Faust, whose P-"
Their meaningless words fell away as Mawile shifted into battle mode, also known as beatdown city and curbstomp central.
Skiddo: Grass type. Average in most areas. Likely moves include Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Take Down, and Bulldoze. Upper limit strength correlates to Pokemon used in a 3rd gym badge challenge. The threat level is very low.
Whirlipede: Bug and poison type. Favors defense. Likely moves include Screech, Pursuit, Protect, Poison Tail, Iron Defense, Venoshock, and Bug Bite. Upper limit strength correlates to Pokemon used in a 3rd gym badge challenge. Lower limit was somewhere between the 1st and 2nd gym badge levels. The threat level is negligible.
Muk: Poison type. Favors physical attack. Likely Moves include Disable, Sludge, Mud Bomb, Minimize, Sludge Wave, Screech, and Acid Armor. Lower limit strength correlates to Pokemon used in a 6th gym badge challenge. Be on alert for signs of the move Dig. If observed, seek higher ground. The threat level is variable.
Mawile sighed. It was exactly as she expected¡ªboring.
She often wished her old trainer had been less zealous in making her memorize everything. Lil''Boss'' style was similar but different. They still did the book stuff, even though Mawile knew way more about Pokemon stuff than Lil''Boss did. She kept quiet on that; it was funnier that way. Where they differed was that Lil''Boss was a big fan of practical demonstrations. Which was a dumb way of saying fighting, but she allowed it because Lil''Boss knew a lot about fighting. Fighting with or against her was one of Mawile''s favorite things in the world.
Her victims'' mouths were moving, discussing something between themselves. None of that mattered and Mawile stomped on the ground, cobblestones flying out in her wake. She appeared at Whirlipede''s side, and its buggy little eyes went as wide as they could go. Mawile smirked at the Pokemon; it really should have used Iron Defense.
With her foot planted on its carapace, she pressed down. It spun for a moment before springing into the air like one of those balls humans like to kick around so much. Using the bare minimum amount of energy required, she mentally triggered her Iron Head and performed a hop before twisting her body into a forward flip. Her black jaw trailed behind her, smacking the Whirlipede down. Its body slammed into the ground, ricocheting and catching Victim A in the gut. He flew back, slamming into the brick wall.
Mawile landed on her feet. She dusted her shoulder off, giving the others time to contemplate their life choices.
"Muk! Mud Bomb!" Newly dubbed Victim C yelled.
The sludge-like Pokemon''s body bulged, and it spat out a mound of dirt toward her. They couldn''t see them on account of the shades, but her eyes were rolling super hard right now. Her right foot slid back, causing her body to be at an angle. It was just enough to have the ball of mud miss her coat.
Lil''Boss'' knives were way faster, and she was much sneakier about aiming them. Her eyes didn''t give away where she was aiming them.
"Skiddo!" Victim B joined the game. "Leech Seed!"
At its trainer''s demand, the Skiddo opened its mouth and small seeds were sent her way. Mawile took the time to consider the best option before standing still and letting them hit her center chest. They came to life on contact, growing into vines that wrapped around her. A draining feeling soon followed, with a blob of green energy going back to the grass Pokemon.
"I still don''t know what her plan is," her minion supplied from behind her. She had noticed that Haunter of his hadn''t been released. "But I''m pretty sure you guys fucked up with that."
Mawile stretched her arms up before reaching for her toes. She then went upright and twisted left and then right. She punched in place, confirming the loss of mobility was minimal.
"Ma, wile," she said, thanking the Skiddo. "Mawile, wile."
She pointed at the Muk, wondering why it had not used any of his buffing moves yet. Did they want to go down on one hit? It was hard enough to hold back on Whirlipede, and they already looked close to fainting.
No one ever talked about how much of a burden being so amazing was.
"Muk Disable! Jeff, get your Skiddo to Bulldoze!"
A blue glow coated her, holding her in place. It was stronger than Princess'' move and yet somehow she found it inferior. Ralts'' application came off as more complete.
Skiddo pawed at the ground twice before rearing up and stomping. A fissure formed, rapidly approaching her still form.
Their half-decent teamwork put her in a predicament.
Not.
The lip of her greater maw pulled back, and a black aura surrounded her teeth. It resonated with her new shades, amplifying their power. Her mouth split open wide before snapping shut, the energy dispersing. If the Disable was powered by someone like Monarch, then she would be going nowhere fast. However, it was Muk, and so the residual dark energy was enough to shake the hold and free her.
Mawile ran at the upturned earth, leaping over it and tripping slightly before catching herself with a foot. She froze in position.
Yes, that was exactly how she planned to land. Anyone who claimed otherwise was welcome to file a complaint with her. She guaranteed no one would file a second one.
"Muk, what the hell happened to the Disable? Keep that up and I''m not taking you dumpster diving this weekend."
Dumpsters weren''t her idea of good eating, no matter how much Lil''Boss called her food junk food, but she sympathized with the Pok¨¦mon whose eyes had been filled with undisguised panic. What an evil trainer! Didn''t he know treats were one of the reasons they lived
He needed to be taught a good lesson. Pain was a great teacher. By extension, that meant Mawile was as well.
She dashed toward the trainer, his Muk being just slow enough to fail its interception.
"Wile, wile, wile~," she sang as she approached, reaching out with her hands. "Mawile!"
He stumbled back, reacting far too late to make any meaningful difference. His leg was captured in her iron grip, and she pulled him harshly.
"What are youuuuuuuuuuuuu."
His voice extended, melding into a yell as her arm moved in a circle above her. She felt the drain on her again, the energy feeding back to Skiddo who looked ready to bolt.
Her new plaything''s screaming was delightful, rising and falling in volume depending on how fast she swung. It hitched for a moment, causing her to frown before his stomach released its contents.
It flew in an arc around her, and she slowed the spinning.
"Are you kidding me? Minion A complained, stretching out his shirt and examining where he''d caught some of her friendly fire. "Second time this week."
Princess would have him fill out an expense report to have it cleaned. Mawile''s solution was better. She laughed.
With the speed reduced, she let go of the man who flew out and tumbled across the ground. He didn''t look to be moving.
"Whirlipede use Venoshock."
Victim A was back on his feet, ordering his teetering Pokemon.
Was he serious? Didn''t this dummy know she was steel?
Hah. This really was bottom-of-the-barrel opponents. She whipped her head around, knocking the globs of purple goo to the ground. That was not getting on her coat. No way, no how.
She fell on her ass next, losing her footing while trying to dodge a Mud Bomb from close proximity. Her success in avoiding the attack was never in question, but she did not appreciate having to drop to the floor like some sort of loser.
Mawile tilted her head down so Muk could see her glare at it from above her shades. Not having access to the move Glare or even Scary Face was an injustice in the world.
The events of today played back in her mind. When Lil''Boss didn''t think something was right, she complained to the person in charge and walked away with pretty much everything she wanted. That was something to think about.
She kicked off the ground, barreling toward the Pokemon who had managed to catch her off guard. Its mass moved, trying to get out of her path, but it was far too slow and an Iron Head caught it in the face, or what she thought was its face. His body was heavy, but Mawile was no slouch and she managed to splatter it into the stairs her victims had originally been hanging out in.
Skiddo''s hooves clattered on the cobblestones as it charged her, head down. Its trainer had called for a Take Down. Mawile stood her ground, holding her hand out in front of her. She grunted slightly as she tanked the hit head-on, her feet digging into the ground. Holding its forehead in place, she reached out with her other hand for the horn. Once her hand clamped on it, she transitioned her other hand to the remaining horn and threw the Pok¨¦mon up. There wasn''t much strength in it, and it went a few feet up before falling to her awaiting maw.
"Skid!" It screeched in discomfort as she gently held him aloft, electricity running along him.
Her new move was not effective against him, but that was the only reason she was using it. She felt the drain again, the vines sapping her strength.
"Hey!" His trainer protested with fire in his voice. "Let him go!"
Mawile closed her jaw tighter, eliciting a squeal before shaking and tossing it away.
She took in what was left. The Muk looked fine enough to continue and she could play with the Skiddo once the next drain hit. The people were much less put together; the one she''d thrown was still not moving, and it looked like she had lost the Whirlipede trainer. They must have run while she wasn''t looking.
Mawile decided that must have been part of her plan. With any luck, he would draw more toward her. There was only one coherent victim left and Mawile cracked her knuckles, approaching him.
"H-hey Faust!" Victim B yelled, Pokeball in hand. It looked like he was deciding whether to withdraw Skiddo. "Call it off!"
She tilted her head. Was it not obvious she was a girl? Well, it would all be cleared up after he evolved into Minion C.
"I really can''t," Minion A said, shrugging helplessly. "Also, fair warning. I''m pretty sure you''re about to learn the pecking order."
Chapter 34
Over her multiple lives, Tanya had two chief occupations. That of a salaryman working in human resources, and then as a mage in the Imperial army. Neither of those positions necessitated any skills in spycraft.
That was to say, everything up to this point related to espionage had been done with a combination of common sense and knowledge from popular media. Personally, the genre had never resonated with her. However, keeping abreast of the latest trends was important for the type of banal water cooler talk required to ascend the corporate ladder, and so she had a passing familiarity with some of the classics. As a result, things like keeping her prints off things taken to future crime scenes or canvassing locations for cameras were known to her.
Tailing people was also not a foreign concept; however, reality was very different from the movies, and given the high-profile nature of her target, she was suitably hesitant. Her initial idea was to make a repeat of last time and take advantage of the local avian community to track her target. Unfortunately, her luck had run out and her attempts to make inroads here showed they lacked the organization needed for such an endeavor.
It left her in a tough but not impossible spot. Because while Tanya did not know how to tail someone properly, someone on her team clearly did. Sadly, they were not being agreeable at the moment.
"I''ve lost count of the number of times I''ve clarified this," she said, trying her best to keep the irritation out of her voice. "But no kidnappings."
Tanya was at Vert Plaza, sitting on the stone basin of a water feature. It was a rather nice fountain and had a small number of Ducklett floating lazily in the water. Mimikyu was on the edge of her lap, facing her. Like usual, he gave nothing away.
"I don''t care if it amuses you," Tanya argued. He hadn''t said anything and, for all she knew, she was arguing with herself. She continued due to a small voice in her head telling her what he meant. It wasn''t anything psychic; she knew Ralts'' power well enough to determine that. Instead, it was some sort of intuition. "Do you have any idea of the level of heat that we''d draw by kidnapping a gym leader?"
It had been a few days since getting banned from the market and she was still preparing to go complete the herbalist''s request and secure her gun. She could technically depart now, however, before that she wanted to make contact with Clemont. He was the gym leader of the largest city in Kalos and her target. He had been chosen for two main reasons. The first was that, as a gym leader, he had a larger amount of influence over league affairs than your standard official. The second, and perhaps the more important, was that he was young. He was the youngest gym leader in Kalos'' history. She would have written it off as another case of nepotism, but his father was a simple electronics store owner.
Children were foolish and easy to manipulate. With the right approach, she should be able to put him on the right trail. The other side of the coin was that her enemies would be able to lead him astray. However, Tanya had done her research and believed she had found a way to attract his interest.
That was the who and the how sorted; it was the when she was struggling with. She had originally thought of doing it at the Prism Tower. It housed the city''s gym and, with his challenged schedule being a matter of record, she could guarantee his attendance. After further consideration, she decided the venue was too public. She would rather orchestrate a meeting somewhere in the city.
Which left her debating a doll.
"Kidnapping his family is even worse." She had an inkling that he was deliberately messing with her, but she couldn''t take the chance that he was being serious. "Be reasonable."
It was a tad ironic that while Mimikyu had taken to acting out, Mawile had been oddly well-behaved. Tanya attributed it to learning how to properly manage the Pokemon. As much as she''d like to keep the problem on a tight leash, Mawile was not one to be contained. She needed her space. Tanya had provided some outside of Courmarine, but she supposed the city was more stimulating than a forest. Tanya wasn''t sure what she was up to specifically, but she periodically searched the words Mawile and Lumiose City online and so far, nothing had shown up.
Whatever it was must have been rather cathartic. The first night she went out alone, the Pokemon had come back glowing. Figuratively, not literally, as Tanya had managed. Moonlight, despite its unfortunate typing, was a useful tool to have. It would provide her a way to speed up her personal recovery should she become injured again.
Tanya looked up, seeing the sun shine high in the sky. The move wasn''t as reliable as she would have liked. Its potency depended on both the time of day and phase of the moon. If she were to try it now, its effects would be negligible. Not that she would, as it also made her extremely conspicuous. No, she''d save that training for the relative safety of her base. The same base she had been kicked out of this morning.
That sounded harsh. In reality, she had been gently asked by Ralts to vacate the premises while they discussed further cleaning efforts. Tanya thought it was overkill, as the shop had been so thoroughly scrubbed down that you could eat off the floors, but she admired the commitment. Ralts had even somehow managed to conscript Mawile to help, proving she was a good influence on the Pokemon.
A sudden breeze swept through the plaza, and Mimikyu''s ear flopped to the side. Tanya narrowed her eyes at the Pokemon.
"Causing a citywide blackout is also not a viable solution."
Learning the city''s power grid was largely dependent on a child had been unsettling, but it did further to prove the claims of his genius. Practically speaking, unpowering the city was possible. The power plants were located from where she''d just come from, the badlands. It would be easy to go out and disrupt some lines, prompting an investigation. However, there was no guarantee the boy himself would investigate and, despite being labeled as such, she was no terrorist.
"Lett?" One of the Duckletts tilted his head, overhearing part of their conversion. It turned to its companions, pointing a wing at her. "Duck? Lett?"
Oh sure, now they decided to be observant.
Tanya glared at the useless things and they flew off, splashing water during their escape. Pokemon remained strange creatures in her mind.
"Bin!" Carbink noticed the disturbance, coming back from the tree he had been investigating. "Ink?"
He was healed now. It was a relief; she hadn''t realized how much it had bothered her until he was back to normal. Carbink might have had his faults, but he was a good worker. He just needed more direction than the others.
"They had somewhere else to be," she lied, seeing his ears sag down at the knowledge his new friends had left without warning. "Come over here." He floated over and she rubbed his collar, scratching at what she had learned was the spot. "Did you make any progress?"
Her eyes went back to the tree, and she spotted some movement in the branches.
"Bink, bin," he explained while shaking his head.
"That''s alright, thank you for trying."
Failure was the expectation. Without a structure, having wild Pokemon attempt to single out a small blond child in a city this size was futile. Their intelligence also varied quite a bit. Some of them had enthusiastically pointed at her and then asked for a reward.
She could feel the smugness radiating from her lap. All roads led to Mimikyu. She had already tried leveraging their contract, yet printed words had little power over him. There were technically other options. She didn''t have to tail the gym leader; she could wait somewhere she knew he''d stopped by, like his father''s store. However, if not now, she would eventually need to learn how to properly track someone. Clemont today, but who knew what Flare grunt or admin she might face tomorrow.
That left her with one move. It wouldn''t be the first time she would be using it, but it was a rare occurrence.
"Mimikyu," she started with the utmost seriousness. "Do you want to be a member of this¨C" she paused for a brief moment. "Family or not? If you do, that means helping out even if it''s not always in the way you want."
It was just a word. She could have used the term team, unit, group, or any other descriptor. They all had the same effect on her, which was to say none at all. The only reason she used it was to play on the sensibilities of others.
Tanya waited for a reply, ignoring the way Carbink was rubbing into her side.
"Mi." A muffled voice sounded. "Mi, mi, mi."
This¡
Tanya looked around, trying to find the nearest trash can. Laughter had not been the response she was going for, and all she wanted to do right now was toss the stupid doll away.
While she did find one, she also knew hers was an empty threat. He was too valuable to throw away like that. There was one other option left to her, and that was good old-fashioned practice.
Her eyes scanned the others in the plaza, specifically those using it as a shortcut from one part of the city to another. She chose her mark and got up; Mimikyu clutched to her side.
"Carbink, go find Gabite. We''re taking a walk."
¡ª
"I''m sorry, ma''am!" Tanya squealed, widening her eyes to the limit. She tilted her head and held her hands behind her back. Her shoulders rocked in an agitated manner. "I saw a movie with my mommy and daddy and the spy was so cool and smart and I wanted to try to be just like him!"
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Her excited ramblings had the intended effect, and the middle-aged woman''s tight expression softened. She rolled her eyes, and the grip on her purse loosened.
"That''s quite alright, dear. I mistook you for some other riff-raff. Now go run along and play somewhere else." Tanya was more than happy to part ways after another failed attempt, but before that, the woman had one more thing to say. "Dear! Maybe try doing it without the¡dragon? It gives people quite the fright and is not the subtlest of Pokemon."
A strained smile came to Tanya''s face, and she turned to look at Gabite. As far as moods went, she didn''t look to be in that poor of one. Her default expression was simply intense.
"I''ll try, but she''s watching over me for now."
With that piece said she swiftly turned and left, dragon in tow.
Fifth. That was her fifth failed attempt, due in no small part to Gabite. Leaving her at the base wasn''t feasible. Setting aside the Pokemon was not one to sit around all day; Mawile and her in an enclosed space was a fight waiting to happen. A one-sided one at that, but she didn''t want to drag Gabite''s broken body back to Garchomp. Tanya had tried to get the dragon to tail her instead, but a dragon looking like she was hunting a little girl in the middle of the city ended up attracting even more attention. Some quick thinking had her convince the various concerned citizens that it was just a game, but it had been a close thing with some calling out their Pokemon preemptively. It was safer for everyone involved if Gabite stuck close. On the bright side, the increased difficulty did have her come up with more elaborate methods than simply shadowing someone. Blending into existing groups, passing by her intended target, or using her superior senses to track them from over a block away made it so that she was confident in her success if she were to remove the handicap.
She was walking down the street and headed in the direction back to base when a whisper caught her attention.
"Psst."The speaker was a tan girl with long, unkempt black hair. She was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt that had been poorly patched up. Her legs were covered by torn black leggings, with an orange skirt over top. Tanya pegged her as in her teens. "Come over here for a sec."
Was she about to be mugged a second time? How dangerous was this city? Tanya looked back, seeing Gabite standing behind her. If someone was bold enough to try robbing her now, they were either monumentally dull or had something suitably intimidating.
Whatever advantage the strange girl might have, it wouldn''t be enough. Tanya had Mimikyu, a terror in his own right, but she now also had another powerful card up her sleeve.
Herself.
Saying it like that was arrogant and not entirely accurate. What she really had was a Carbink with Guard Split. They''d tested it as soon as he was well, and the results were extremely gratifying. The feeling of invincibility it granted gave her some pause, as it reminded her of that blessing Being X had saddled her with. The difference was that rather than some self-proclaimed god, the feelings came from Carbink himself. Still unwelcome, but also not threatening.
The psychic move did much to further her understanding of the Pokemon. He was truly fortunate to have found her. His boundless optimism was ripe for exploitation and if anyone was going to take advantage of him, it should be her.
All that said, Tanya was not one to look for trouble, and so she kept walking.
"H-hey!" The girl ran out of the hallway, waving Tanya down as if she hadn''t heard her. "I was talking to you!"
Unless she broke out into a run, Tanya''s short legs could not outpace that of the older girl''s, and she resolved herself to deal with whatever this was.
"Slow down," the girl said, jogging backward in front of her. She stopped with her feet planted wide and put out a palm held flat. "Stop, you can''t go any further!"
Oh, it was one of those then.
"I''m not interested in battling you," Tanya said in a bored voice. How many times did she have to tell these people to back off? "Please let me be on my way."
The girl blinked before shaking her head, the black hair swinging behind her.
"Pokemon battle? Nothing like that. I don''t even own one."
The frank admission threw her for a loop. With Faust and Lillian, she''d gotten a better example of how Pokemon ownership in Kalos worked. Most people got licenses while young, and while they did expire, that did not bar them from ownership. In fact, ownership was an unalienable right. The restrictions came in other forms. Pokemon Center access was the big one. Checkups and healings were provided free of charge; however, every visit was logged and if enough evidence was shown that you were acting as a de facto trainer, the authorities would get involved.
At least, that was what was supposed to happen. Certain nurses were known to be more blase about the rules. Her situation barred her from that, but it worked fine for most others, resulting in a high rate of Pokemon ownership for anyone in or past their teens.
"Is that so?" Tanya questioned in an unconvinced manner. "Why are you trying to stop me then?"
"Introductions first." The girl unilaterally decided, putting her hand down but still standing in her way. "I''m Emma. What''s your name?"
People in this world were way too nosey. She much preferred when everyone kept to their own business.
"Visha," Tanya replied, resigned to having to sit through another inane conversation.
"Nice to meetcha, Visha," Emma said, nodding as if pleased to herself. "I''ve been watching you for a while." That instantly made her eyes narrow, and she raised the level of threat assigned to the girl. "I saw you tailing a few folks, and believe me, I know what that''s like. But crime is no way to go. If you''re hungry, leave it to me! I know all the cheap spots."
Tanya was not a criminal; she just happened to do criminal-like things. Even so, it was a bit too late for this type of chat. This girl had also gotten the wrong idea about her financial situation.
After the exchange in the underground market, Tanya was not in any way poor. She wasn''t rolling in it, but for someone of her apparent age, she had the start of a decent nest egg. That didn''t even account for most of her wealth being held in real assets. Those genuine Dragon Scales cost a pretty penny to the right trainer.
"I think you''ve misread things-"
She didn''t get a chance to finish being rudely cut off by the girl''s overeager voice.
"Let me guess. You ran away, but things are a lot tougher than you thought and you ran out of money way faster than planned. So you figured, why not pick a couple of pockets? They don''t need it as much as me. Do I have that right?"
What was it with people assuming she was a runaway? Yes, it worked for her purposes, but she was starting to find it offensive.
Tanya looked down; she wasn''t even wearing Lillian''s clothes this time. This was some of the second-hand stuff she bought from the pawnshop. Sure, they weren''t brand new, but they didn''t scream homeless, did they?
"Ite," Gabite offered, turning her nose away.
Tanya shot the Pokemon a look. She did not smell. They didn''t have a proper shower, but a sink was more than enough to keep herself clean.
"Sure," Tanya said, the girl''s mind clearly made up. "Why not."
She didn''t much care for whatever assumptions a random girl came to.
"I knew it. You know how?" No, and she didn''t care either. "Cause I''m the same way! There''s actually a lot of us out here. Some of us do bad things for money, but I''m telling you there''s another way. I know loads of side jobs you can do. They don''t pay a lot, but it''s honest work."
"I''ll take that under advisement," Tanya lied and then gestured behind her. "But as you can see, if I have a need for cash, I''m not without options."
Illegal battles were a thing, and if she wanted to throw Gabite in a cage match, she could make decent money.
"Oh! Hmmm," Emma rubbed her chin, her face scrunched up. "I guess you''re lucky to have such a strong Pokemon. I left without one, but I found Mimi along the way. So it was all worth it. Oh, Mimi is an Espurr; she comes and goes but she''s my best friend."
For a moment there, Tanya thought Mimikyu might have been juggling two jobs. Thankfully, it was a false alarm. Espurr was a psychic type. They were notorious for having poor control over their powers. She wondered how Ralts would fare against it, but that was the extent of her consideration.
"Was that all?" She needed to get going if she was going to get dinner on the table. Finding affordable produce hadn''t been too difficult. A city this size tended to have options.
"No, I also came to warn you," Emma''s face fell, her upbeat demeanor dimming. "If you keep going that way, you''re going to run into some bad people. I''m not sure what''s going on, but things are heating up and it''s not safe to be out alone. With the rumors I heard, even Gabite might not be able to keep you safe."
Tanya glanced in the direction she was pointing to. It was the exact location where her base was located. That was alarming, but she hadn''t seen anything amiss.
"Thank you. I''ll make sure to ask my team if they''ve noticed any danger recently."
She''d have to make a play at Clemont sooner rather than later. If the city was getting dangerous, getting her team out of harm''s way would be the priority.
Chapter 35
Tanya sat on a strategically chosen bench, reading a surprisingly interesting piece of text. It was about the diets of Pokemon and how they varied across species and types. It wasn''t completely new information. She''d known about how grass and certain ghost types were said to supplement their diet, but this not only provided more examples but translated energy gained to calories. It was useful data, and she''d keep it in the back of her mind, but she hadn''t grabbed this book for its contents.
While Clemont had written books, this was not one of them. She felt that would be too on the nose and so chose something that referenced his work instead. The boy himself should be coming into sight soon. She had been tracking him mere moments ago, following along at a distance. Once she was certain where he would be going, she stealthily overtook him and set up here with her bait. She was mostly alone today, with just Gabite for company. The dragon had been left in an alley behind her with strict orders to remain put.
The street the bench was lined up against was dedicated to pedestrians for now, with signs indicating when regular traffic would be allowed through again. It was a little past midday and the lunch rush had just ended. Tanya could spot more than a couple of people scurrying about in a rush, clearly having lost track of time and having their lunch time run over. Which was ridiculous because most of them had a solid two hours for it. Back when she was a salaryman, she''d only take minutes for hers. The work ethic here had much to be desired.
A mop of blond hair appeared in the corner of her eye and she raised the book higher, making sure the title was visible. Her feet kicked back and forth, trying to mimic a casual attitude. Her eyes roamed the page, but she read no words, using her mental faculties to count out the steps it would take for him to pass by her. As she heard them slow, her eyes drifted up from the book. Clemont hadn''t stopped, but he had slowed, and she noticed his gaze on the cover of her book. He was dressed in a loose fitting blue jumpsuit with yellow highlights. Big glasses sat on his head and he carried a backpack.
"Hmm?" She hummed with a tilt of her head. "Hello. Is there something you need?"
It was a more passive approach than she''d prefer, but she wasn''t sure of his temperament and did not want to come off too strong.
"Sorry, it''s just that¡" he trailed off and looked to the side, scratching the back of his head. He continued in an almost bashful voice. "I think I know that book."
She made a show of looking at the book again and then back at him, squinting her eyes. Tanya pretended to have a moment of realization and flipped through the pages hastily, stopping at a certain entry.
"You''re-" she paused as if unsure of herself. "Clemont? You invented the Clemont Shower!"
Tanya turned the book, showing the page depicting a picture of a large green booth. It was in the shape of a cylinder and made of solid metal. Capped with a green dome and yellow lightning bolt, the entire structure must have weighed over a ton.
"Ah, yeah, that was me," Clemont admitted with reddened cheeks. "It was part of my graduate project. I never meant for it to be a big thing."
She''d known all of that. Tanya had even read the accompanying paper. It was difficult to follow, including many technical terms, but she managed to get through it. The booth was one of several that would be connected to a central hub. They would draw power from that hub and provide electricity to any wandering electric-type Pokemon, ensuring they did not suffer from exhaustion. Evidently, it was a major problem for some species, causing them to live in very specific areas where they could rely on sources of it.
"It was really inspiring," Tanya said with a false smile. "I could never have dreamed of doing something like that."
Because the energy distributed came mainly from other electric Pokemon. It was essentially a welfare program for wild Pokemon. Unless it was to garner local support, there was no reason to waste resources like that. Thankfully, she''d gotten her fill of ranting on the subject back at base. Ralts had even taken notes, which she found endear¨C
Professional. She found that professional.
"Thank you," Clemont said with a mix of pride and embarrassment. "But there''s still a long way to go. We''ve only set up pilot programs in small towns. I''m hoping we can get them installed in the city soon."
Would it be wrong to steal electricity from the city? Those devices would make it trivial to do so. Well, she''d take every advantage she could get to face Team Flare.
"Have you thought about doing it for Pokemon other than electric types?" Tanya asked innocently, blinking her eyes.
The question brought his attention back to her face, and he frowned for a moment, falling into silence.
"Is that a no?" Tanya followed up, trying to spur a response. In her experience, inventor types tended to get lost in their own heads.
"Ah," he said, rubbing his chin. "I specialize in electric types and never really thought of trying it for other types. I''d need to look more into it, but it could work for fire types."
He didn''t sound disinterested, but she did detect a hint of hesitation.
"I was actually thinking of a more general solution," Tanya clarified. "Remove the typing aspect completely and directly infuse energy into a Pokemon. Like a healing type move, only it would restore stamina as well."
Clemont gained a strained look and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"That''s a bit too far. Pokemon centers employ technology like that but it''s expensive to maintain and operate. The Joy Clan has worked on it for generations, and it''s as good as it can get."
Tanya could admit to being impressed there. Not everyone was able to look into the practicality of projects before wasting time and money exploring them. Now she just had to convince him otherwise.
"I don''t know much about those machines, but Mama used to read me bedtime stories. They were about a Pokemon that used to be called Yveltal. Have you heard of it?"
This was the crux of her gambit. She was going to implant the idea that the legendary Pokemon would be an invaluable research subject. If Clemont shared any traits with inventors, he''d begin to obsess over it in short order. She knew Schugel would.
"That''s one of the legendaries native to Kalos," Clemont said slowly.
There were more? She knew the legendary birds were known to migrate, but she''d not heard of any others. Tanya would be sure to steer far clear of them.
"Right," she confirmed. "The stories said it was able to drain energy from things. That''s not exactly what I''m after but¨C"Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"We can study the process and might be able to figure out how to do the opposite." Clemont interrupted her, finishing her thought. "It might function on different principles than what we use now. It''s not without precedent either. Other regions have studied the unique properties of their legendaries. The only thing is, legendaries can be dangerous to handle. It''s best to leave them alone."
His initial enthusiasm dimmed as he faced reality. Fortunately, she had an avenue for this as well.
"Yes, but the stories say Yveltal takes long naps. That''s probably the safest time to research it."
From what she gathered, the lifecycle of the Pokemon was one of draining the surrounding area and then hibernating until the next harvest. It seemed like a pointless cycle and she was not keen on having it wake up.
Clemont''s eyes looked to glaze over. She let him have time to organize his thoughts.
"I hadn''t thought of it that way, but you''re right. If it''s already sleeping, I can totally research it without disturbing it. Although," he paused, skepticism infecting his tone. "Wouldn''t searching for Xerneas be better? If we''re going off of stories, it was said to give eternal life."
Tanya thought about retracting her previous statement. If there was a Pokemon with such an ability, she''d be tempted to seize it for herself. Only tempted though, as she wasn''t suicidal.
"Although it''s fairy typing¨C" Clemont abruptly stopped, taking a half-step back. His eyes roamed her. "What did you say your name was?"
Having known who she would be meeting, she hadn''t come in her usual get-up. With a fresh set of clothes and dyed brown hair, she should have looked like your everyday girl. Something had obviously changed, and she became aware that she might have been more on the leagues'' radar than previously assumed.
"Erya," Tanya replied without missing a beat. The name Visha was attached to all sorts of things now, so she used her old subordinate''s roommate''s name instead.
Some tension seemed to leave Clemont''s shoulders, but he did not look fully convinced. He stared at her closely before asking his next question.
"You wouldn''t happen to be a fairy trainer, would you?"
"Absolutely not!" Her denial was instant, and she immediately realized her error, dialing it back a tone. "I''m not partial to any typing."
Truly, she wasn''t. The composition of her current team was irrelevant.
An obnoxiously loud snort echoed from behind her. Clemont''s eyes went above her, and she could imagine what he was seeing peeking out of the alley.
"Uhhhh," he stretched out the words, his hand falling into his pocket. "I''m going to release my Pokemon. When I do, I need you to get behind me."
Tanya sighed. Both in exasperation and relief. She was tempted to let him have at the wild Pokemon, but she knew that would be a poor decision for everyone involved.
"Gabite''s with me." Try as she might, she could not keep the exhaustion out of her tone. She didn''t bother to turn and called out to the Pokemon. "Come on out."
Heavy footfalls responded, and soon a shadow stretched over her. Looking up, she could see Gabite''s head arch over her, fangs on display. Tanya elbowed her, rebuking her behavior.
"Be nice," she ordered. "Clemont here is a friend; we were just talking about legendaries. Isn''t that right?"
The boy in question looked between the two of them, and in spite of the naked aggression from the Pokemon, put a smile on. The Pokeball that had found its way to his palm was put back in his pocket and he wiped his brow of sweat that had accumulated.
"Sorry about that. I think I mistook you for someone else."
If she wasn''t with her present company, Tanya might have laughed at the irony of Gabite acting as camouflage. Useful or not, she really did need to find a way to make the Pokemon more subtle.
However, before that, it seemed she''d stumbled onto an opportunity.
"Oh? And who is that?"
Finding out what the league knew of her would be nice. Either way, their bags were already packed, and this was the last thing on her list before they went hunting for some firepower.
If he could have one wish, Clemont would wish that there were more of him. Between his research, time with his family, and the multitude of challengers, there were simply not enough hours in the day.
However, there were no impossible problems, and he was working on a partial solution. Clembot, when it was finished, would perfectly simulate his battle ability and be able to conduct gym challenges in his stead. He''d hit a small roadblock with it but was confident he''d get it to work eventually.
Sadly, it did nothing to help him right now, and he found himself with yet another project on his plate.
Tracking down legendaries may not have been his specialty, but he knew the theory. They tended to give off enormous energy levels that could be detected with the right sensors. The problem here was not only lacking a sample of what he was looking for, but that the Pokemon would be hibernating as well. In such a state, he''d have to be extremely close to it for any device to pick up traces of it.
That left him chasing stories that may have hints of where the approximate location may be. Needless to say, he did not have time for that and there were many competing priorities he had to deal with. However, the idea did have merit, and so it was worth sending out a holo call.
"Or it would have been if she ever picked up," Clemont said, clicking the device off and laying it to the side. He was sitting in the stands of his own arena. There was still time until his next match and it hadn''t been opened to the public yet.
When it came to myths, there was one person on Kalos he knew to turn to. She wasn''t what many would consider an expert on the matter, but Clemont got the sense she knew more than she let on. She was just difficult to deal with sometimes.
"Boo~"
He jumped at the voice, falling forward and down a few rows. With his feet facing the ceiling and his head on the ground, he looked up and was met with a giggle. Sat on the bench he had just been on was his fellow gym leader, Valerie.
"Hello Valerie," he greeted her from his upside down position before picking himself up. "I shouldn''t be falling for that anymore." It was far from the first time it had happened, and he should have known to expect it. In fairness, she usually took longer to pop in. The reason for her speed was evident by the presence of the pink Pokemon sat in the row behind her. "Hello Slowking. Is Olympia here?"
This Slowking operated as her assistant, teleporting around the region as needed. They''d met and worked together before, so it had taken only a glance to recognize it.
''My lady will not be joining us.'' The words slid into his mind. ''I am here for observation.''
Hmm. That meant Olympia would not be able to help him. He hadn''t called her, knowing if she could contribute, she''d reach out.
Valerie''s giggles died out, and he thought he could see the ghost of a frown on her.
"He means the oh so perfect Olympia is worried about little of me." She put another smile on her face, but it didn''t reach her lips. Crossing her legs, she continued. "Didn''t you know? Without someone watching over me, I''d be incapable of tying my own laces."
Clemont was not sure what was going on between those two. What he was sure of was that he was not going to be the one to get into the middle of it. Only Wulfric was capable of something like that.
"I''m sure she means the best," he offered before quickly changing the subject. "I called because I was wondering what you know about Yveltal and Xerneas."
With Valerie, it was important to be succinct. She was easily driven off track and you could never be sure how long you would have her attention.
Her dark eyes traced up, staring off into the distance. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought and he was worried he''d already lost her when she responded.
"Life and destruction." Her airy voice intoned. "One of us, and one of not. Two pieces of a puzzle. Or was it three? Who would know? The fool. The fool would know. Where, oh, where could he be? Ever away if we heed their calls, and should we not, all shall fall." She stopped, looking around as if only now remembering where she was. "Did that answer your question?"
Not in the least. Who was the ''they'' that she spoke of? And why did they make it sound like finding the fool would bring upon a catastrophe?
Clemont looked back to Slowking, hoping for the Pokemon''s wisdom. Slowking stood with his arms behind his back, his unblinking eyes staring at Valerie.
''Divinations lie with my lady. She has not forewarned of any disasters of the scale implied by Miss Valerie.''
Accompanied by that was a feeling of dismissiveness. That was understandable. Olympia was the world''s greatest psychic and Clemont decided to put his trust in that.
"Maybe focus on the legendaries? Do you know where they might be?"
In complete contrast to the girl''s proper appearance, she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
"Boring," she declared in a manner similar to a child not wanting to finish their homework. "Unfun too. Why dig through the dirt when you can soar through the skies?"
That implied they were buried. Which made sense, but also complicated the matter of finding them.
"It''s curiosity. I met someone today who gave me an idea and I wanted to follow up on it." Erya was nice. She seemed like an earnest girl. "Funny story, I actually mistook her for that girl we were looking for.
A hand clamped down on his shoulder, holding it firmly.
"Clemont~" In front of him, Valerie''s eyes were squeezed shut by a broad smile on her face. "Tell me more."
Chapter 36
Routes in this world were a catch-all term for the winding roads that connected population centers through vast stretches of undeveloped lands. They varied widely, and never was that more evident than stepping out onto Route 5. The last route she''d traveled through, the badlands, had been a dusty and hostile environment. Trainers could easily be swept away by the rolling storms, burying them in dirt and clay.
In comparison, Route 5 was a playground.
Tanya shook her head, remembering that she had just passed a literal skatepark. It had been built directly outside of the city and adjacent to the route. Children and adults of all ages had been rollerskating across its painted cement surface. They performed tricks and stunts that she was only vaguely able to remember the names of. Occasionally, one would tumble, earning either laughs or sounds of concern.
All the activity reminded her of the cyclist shop that was their base. Traditional bikes would be out of place there, but variants like a BMX would work quite well. With such a market, she was surprised the shop had fallen into such disrepair. It was probably a consequence of their current management being unable to see the potential.
Speaking of the punks, they''d been acting strangely. For one, they never seemed to be idle. Their hands were always occupied; whether it be a broom or clipboard, they always looked busy. Then there was the way they''d fall into an almost unnatural silence when she neared. It wasn''t every time, but more than once she''d walked in on them only to have them completely clam up. The most concerning aspect was their numbers. They were multiplying. At last count, there were now six of them.
Using Emma''s words as guidance, Tanya was not blind to what these developments may have meant. In a rare act of charity, she''d cornered Faust and Lillian, warning them to stay away from that sort of trouble. The boy had laughed in her face while the girl looked almost constipated. That type of reaction did not spur confidence, and she once again considered the threat their continued existence posed. It was only Ralts'' constant assurances that kept her at bay. She did not enjoy being put in a position of being reactive rather than proactive, but she viewed it as an investment in Ralts'' development. If nothing came of the punks'' actions, then there was no harm done. However, if they did draw them into trouble, then it was a teachable moment for the Pokemon, showing the importance of dealing with issues in their infancy.
Setting those thoughts aside, Tanya reviewed her goals for this outing. Her first objective would be completed today, collecting the plants for that herbalist. The second, procuring a firearm, would have to wait for tomorrow. She wasn''t sure how long it would take, but the poacher was allegedly located on Route 7 and that was past where she would be making camp tonight, Camphrier Town.
"Hey, watch out!"
Reacting to the abrupt shout from ahead, she barely spared the incoming roller skater a look before scooping up Ralts, who had been walking down the dirt path with her.
The teen zoomed past, continuing down at a speed that could easily result in a broken neck.
This wasn''t the first near miss they''d encountered while scaling the rolling hills of Route 5. The first couple of times she''d had to stop the dragon bringing up their rear from chomping down on the offender.
It seemed, even without the skatepark, this area was a popular site for skaters. She had to imagine the park was built in an effort to stop reckless skaters going up and down these hills. It was just a shame they''d overestimated the intelligence of their local adrenaline junkies. Why they could not be satisfied owning creatures able to level buildings was a mystery to her.
Tanya placed the Pokemon back down and then reached over, snatching away the device in her tiny white hands.
"What did I say about watching where you''re going? I''m confiscating your phone. You''ll get it back at the end of the day."
It wasn''t one of the models the punks owned and she wasn''t sure how Ralts had gotten it. She''d just shown up with it one day, reading at the table like Tanya often did. Tanya suspected this was another effort at emulating her.
Ralts looked up at her indigently, holding out her open palm.
''Necessary,'' she conveyed, along with a feeling of seriousness.
Tanya scoffed, placing the phone in her hoodie''s pocket.
"You can play with it later. I know this area is rather civilized, but we shouldn''t foster bad habits like letting your guard down on routes."
The hand reminded out, and Tanya noticed the puffing of the Pokemon''s cheeks.
''Work, not play.''
As someone who''d caught multiple employees at their desk preaching the same, Tanya knew a lie when she saw one. She must have been playing one of those mobile games or something.
"Then you can work later," Tanya said, not giving in to Ralts'' demands.
There was another yell from ahead of them. It was one she knew, and her hand snapped out, clamping around the base of Mawile''s black jaw. Holding the Pokemon like a turnip, Tanya looked back to see a skateboard continue down the hill. She would not be surprised if it reached the city in the valley below.
"Do I want to know where you got that board from?" Tanya asked the Pokemon, not placing her down.
Mawile raised a finger to her chin and gained a contemplative look before shaking her head.
"Thought so," she commented idly, straining her ears and hearing what sounded like a child crying in the distance. She looked to the side, seeing where the forest began. "We''re deep enough. Let''s head off the path and find those herbs for Melody."
She didn''t want to explain to a parent why her Pokemon had requisitioned their child''s toy.
Again.
"These are ordinary purple flowers, not bugwort," Tanya explained to a Bunnelby while holding out a printed-out picture of the plant she was after. The rabbit''s arms were crossed and its leg thumped on the ground as it waited impatiently. "Please look again at the bulb. They look nothing alike."
She was seated in a newly formed clearing, behind a newly felled log. On the oak were a series of small wicker baskets. Each contained different packaged goods with a small place card in front of them.
Tanya could think of better things to do than to wander the forest and hope to stumble on the herbs they needed. Her team did not live here and while she was certain they could source the bugwort if they needed to, it was much easier to have it delivered to them. To that end, they''d set up this temporary shop.
"Bunn, bunnelby!" The rabbit angrily explained, its ears twitching.
It was heartening to know it was not just her team that had problems picking fights.
"And we thank you for your prior business. However, we cannot accept those flowers in exchange. Unless you have other items to trade on your person, please step aside for the next customer. If you are still dissatisfied, I''ll refer you to our complaint department."
The thumping stopped, and its eyes strayed to Tanya''s right side, where a bored dragon sat. Of course, only someone like Tanya who had spent time with the Pokemon could tell the Pokemon was bored. To anyone else, Gabite would have appeared to be a single wrong look from mauling something.
Gabite yawned, displaying her rows of teeth. Her clawed hand scratched her side before it pointed up.
"Ite, gabite."
That was correct. Gabite was general security. Complaints were handled by Mawile. It was a tad redundant, but much easier than dealing with the fallout if she excluded the Pokemon. To her chagrin, it seemed she''d wasted effort.
"Pardon me a moment," Tanya excused herself. She stood and walked a few paces to the base of the tree Gabite had pointed at. Her foot reeled back, aura rushing through the limb. "Attention!"
The tree shuddered at the impact and Mawile flopped out of the tree, landing at Tanya''s feet face first. Had this been one of her soldiers, they''d be standing at attention right now.
Mawile, on the other hand, was still sleeping.
"How much did you say that motorcycle was?" Tanya dryly intoned.
The Pokemon''s head perked up, and she looked around with bleary eyes. She rubbed them with her balled fist and got up, looking for said vehicle.
"We have a complaint," Tanya said, ignoring the bait she''d laid out. "Deal with it." Mawile''s eyes cleared up, and she nodded. With her trademark grin, she stepped around Tanya, searching for their unhappy customer.
She''d be searching for a while, as it, along with half of their potential customers, looked to have fled.
"Stand down," she ordered, taking her place behind the log. "And stop sleeping on the job. It''s unprofessional."
Just because their customers were wild Pokemon didn''t mean they should provide anything but their best level of service. Word of mouth was their main driver of business and while they would not be here for long, who was to say they''d not try this again in the near future?
Her eyes strayed down to the basket behind their improvised counter. They''d had a productive few hours. A forest this size was a treasure trove of vegetation. Their primary goal was bugwort, but she saw no reason to reject the berries and herbs offered to her for trade. It was not without cost on her end, as the junk food she''d purchased from the city wasn''t free, but she was getting the better end of the deal.
"Next, please," Tanya called to the family of bears next in line. "How can I help you?"
A Pancham ran up to the counter. Its face barely crested the log and Tanya watched as it lifted its nose, sniffing one basket before scurrying to the next. Following it were the lumbering steps of a Pangoro. It was smaller than the one she''d seen compete against that Charizard, both in height and muscle mass. The coat was duller as well, lacking that shine that came from regular grooming. For all that, there was a light in the Pok¨¦mon''s eyes that promised fierce retribution should anything happen to its cub¡ªor cubs¡ªas Tanya barely spotted another Pancham hiding behind the larger Pok¨¦mon''s leg.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Curiously, Tanya did not spot anything in their paws, indicating they''d come empty-handed. She wasn''t the only one to notice, and Gabite''s feet shifted wider.
Tanya''s eyes flickered to the side, and to her immense frustration, she spotted Mawile curled up in a ball and slumbering once more. It had been mere seconds, and if this trend continued, she was putting limitations on the Pokemon''s midnight strolls.
Before she could wake her up again, the Pancham in the lead began speaking.
"Pan! Cham? Cham?" Its attention was scattered, and it pointed at one item after another, asking questions without pausing for answers. "Panch? Am??
"My personal favorite is the Couriway Chewies," Tanya lied, giving out the name of their most expensive item. "We sell them separately and in the variety pack right there." She pointed to a basket at the end. "That one gives you a selection to choose from. As for our sourest, that would be the Saffron Sours. Those are only sold in packs of five."
She paused there, choosing not to answer any of the other questions. Her attention went back to the solemn Pangoro, and she asked the burning question.
"Do you have any items to trade?"
If the answer was no, then it did not matter how big those black panda eyes grew. At best, they''d walk away with nothing. At worst, they''d crawl.
"Pang, oro," the Pokemon''s deep voice rumbled out.
Information?
Carbink had been sent out into the woods with very specific and simple instructions. He was to solicit business, spreading the message that they were willing to trade sweets for the bounty of the forest. However, she''d also told him to inform any would-be customers that they were willing to trade goods in exchange for sightings of red-clothed humans.
She just hadn''t expected that to actually work.
"That''s right," Tanya replied cautiously. "I''m afraid we can''t simply take your word for it. My associate will have to verify your claims as true."
Otherwise, any random Pokemon could come along and take them for a ride.
At her words, the Pangoro''s eyes narrowed. It chewed on the weed between its lips, mulling over her stipulation.
"Pan!" The bold Pancham ran up to its larger caretaker. It jumped up and down, whining petulantly. "Cham! Pan!"
It ran around the leg, pulling the other Pancham out and making it so they both stood in front of what Tanya now recognized was their mother. The two cubs stood hand in hand, one far more eager than the other, crying demands.
The affair was noisy, and Tanya watched the Pangoro''s eyes twitch. She huffed, taking a large paw and sweeping the pair to the side before stepping closer.
"Pangoro, pang."
An agreement? That increased the odds of her claim having credence.
"Very well," Tanya acknowledged, turning to the left and calling out in a loud voice. "Ralts! Your assistance is needed."
There was a rustling, and Ralts stumbled out of the brush. Both her arms were occupied, one with Mimikyu and the other with a wooden plank. She fixed her posture quickly and measured steps brought her to Tanya''s side.
The plank in her right arm took on a purple hue before floating out, displaying itself to Tanya. She reached out, grasping it delicately. Her hands trembled, fingers tensing instinctively, only to be forced slack.
Carved on the inch-wide piece of wood was ''Pixies'' Depot.''
What the hell was that?!
She refused to have that name follow her in this life. It would not be allowed. Anyone who mentioned it would find their kneecaps blown out.
It took every ounce of her self-control to not snap the thing in two. Because as much as she wanted to, she could feel the expectation wafting off of Ralts. It was matched only by the pride the Pokemon radiated in relation to Mimikyu, the one who volunteered to make a store sign.
That stupid doll.
How much was Mimikyu worth again? The answer was a lot, and through a herculean effort, Tanya plastered a smile on her face.
"Good work, you two," she said, her eyes nearly tearing up. "It''s very¡ intricate."
It was the only compliment she could find. The name was horrible, but it had been carved with an attention to detail she could reluctantly admire. There were even sketches of them on the bottom, adding a flare to the piece.
Righ, Flare. She set it to the side, putting it somewhere she''d not have to see it.
"Ralts," Tanya spoke, directing the Pokemon on her new assignment. "Pangoro here says she witnessed individuals who might have been with Team Flare. Can you verify?"
The psychic turned, as if only now noticing the existence of the large bear. Tanya''s hand reached out, taking a twig that had gotten caught in the Pokemon''s hair during her entrance. It occurred to her that the dark typing might cause Ralts'' some issues. She didn''t voice her concerns, allowing Ralts to make the determination herself.
''Understood,'' Ralts sent before setting down Mimikyu and waddling around the counter.
The two Panchams ran up to her, one dragged by the other. At two feet, they were double the size of Ralts. One could be mistaken for forgetting that as pinkish-red eyes caused the two to shrink back, fleeing behind their mother, who snorted.
Ralts'' horn glowed, and Pangoro nodded. The bear Pokemon fell back, its weight falling to the ground and causing the counter to be jostled. Sitting upright, it leaned forward, offering its head to Ralts.
Hands were soon laid on the furry white head, and Ralts stood rigidly.
They waited, the sounds of the forest being the only sign of time passing. She got an inkling that things were not progressing, yet she made no moves. It was not that she didn''t want to help, but that she had no method of doing so.
Her pack, which had remained propped up against the counter, fell to the side. Curiously, both the Mega Stone and Keystone tumbled out.
This was no coincidence, and she eyed Mimikyu.
Tanya understood the message, if not the logic. Deciding to trust the cryptic ghost, she grabbed the two and walked over to Ralts.
Eyes blinked open and Ralts gazed at the Mega Stone before reaching out, clutching it in a palm. Her right hand took Tanya''s left, and soon both of theirs were placed on Pangoro''s head.
''Mother,'' the word rammed into her head, causing her to sway and tighten her hold on the Keystone. ''Together, Mama.''
Tanya did not know what that meant, but her aura surged in response, and in the next instant, she was elsewhere.
Her stomach grumbled, protesting at its emptiness.
She ignored it. Her cubs were fed.
Prowling through her territory, she traversed to where she knew a grove would be.
There she could satiate herself. This time, she would make sure to bring back extra. The cubs would not eat her out of a meal again.
Raised voices in the distance caused her to fall to all fours. Scents traveled to her nose, bringing with them the knowledge of who intruded into her domain.
Humans.
Dangerous foes and unexpected allies.
A younger version of herself had been in their care for a time after she''d broken an arm in a dispute.
She proceeded cautiously, taking care to not make a noise in her approach.
Peaking through a bush, she spotted them. Flaming red hair with matching dress, they babbled in their tongue.
No, argued.
There was a leader among them, and he berated his underlings. With her distance, she could not make out the words. She considered getting nearer, but that was senseless.
She had cubs at home.
Whatever their issues were resolved, and the leader stomped past, his followers trailing after him.
Tanya gasped for breath, dropping the stone.
That was¡ that wasn''t her.
Ralts had shown her images before, but this was something else. These were scents and emotions. They were full-blown memories, causing her to forget herself.
Gardevoir.
This was exactly what Gardevoir had done to her.
Tanya grew conscious at the stare directed her way, and her mind superimposed the image of the older physic Pokemon onto her Ralts.
She dashed the image aside.
Ralts was Ralts.
Her hand went down, ruffling the green locks.
''Mama, stop,'' a burst of embarrassment came from the diminutive Pokemon.
Tanya cracked a smile at that, and she didn''t get a chance to evaluate that before another voice broke in.
"Pang," Pangoro said, standing on two legs again. "Oro?"
Her mind went to work, sorting through the memory she''d received. It told her that Team Flare had been in the area and they were likely searching for Yveltal. She could sense the memory was from months prior. Which meant it contained no actionable information and wasn''t terribly useful.
Still, she wouldn''t back out of the reward. She wanted the wild populace to be on alert, and if it cost her some cheap junk food to accomplish that, it was well worth it.
"Pang, or¨C" Tanya''s tongue froze, and she restarted in English. "Yes, that''s acceptable. Have the cubs start selecting what they want. I''ll tell them when to stop."
Maybe she would allow them a little extra. She was feeling generous today.
Side Story: Mimi
Mimikyu, known as Mimi to those worthy, was old. Far older than any of the Selected. Champion was the only one who may have come close. However, many of Champion''s years amounted to laying dormant deep beneath the earth, sleeping with his colony. Mimikyu had lived those years, watching and waiting for his Chosen to appear.
It had made him patient. He was more than willing to wait for his meals to deliver themselves to him. It was only recently that he had begun to change his ways, showing what his Chosen would call initiative. The shift almost felt against his nature. However, if his Chosen displayed such traits, who was Mimikyu to not attempt to emulate them?
If acting on his own accord felt strange, then doing it for others felt even stranger. If it was just for his Chosen, that was expected. But he surprised himself by acting on Acolyte''s behalf. He did not do so for her potential strength, great as that may be. Mimikyu had witnessed many powerful beings in his time and he would not stoop so low as to curry favor with them. It was because after she had lost such a pivotal figure in her life, Acolyte sought to comfort him. It had struck a chord with him, showing him that despite living in such solitude, there was another state of being open to him. He did not understand why Ralts had done so. What he did understand was that any who sought harm onto his would seek nothing ever again.
How fortunate for him that such worms would intrude on his stronghold.
"This is the place, right?" One of the things spoke to his fellow. Mimikyu could detect the faint scent of fear on him. He inhaled silently, enjoying the aroma.
"I''m sure Hue. I checked on the nav and everything. Besides, do you know any other idiots who would leave the door unlocked?"
That had been his doing. The two had set on beating down the door, and his Chosen would have been displeased at that. They swaggered in, bats in hand.
"That''s true. Not many people would be dumb enough to rob someone paying us. Especially for something like candy. But... don''t you think we should have waited? My Venipede is still recovering from the last fight night."
The other raised an eyebrow in question.
"Do you want to tell the boss we waited a day?" Hue was quick to shake his head, and his companion gave a short laugh, patting his waist. "Thought so. Besides, I got us covered. I didn''t buy that Lunge TM for nothing."
Such a move would amount to little against him, provided he even allowed it to strike him¡ªwhich he would not. His Chosen had painstakingly repaired his shelter; it would not be damaged.
"Yeah, you''re right, Vin," Hue said. With renewed confidence, he raised his leg and kicked one of the tables, causing it to fall on its side. "Might as well start trashing the place."
The casual comment rankled on Mimikyu, who had to bear witness as their belongings were abused.
"Transgressions will not be forgotten," Mimikyu spoke, even though he knew his words would be lost on these humans. "Nor forgiven."
Hue startled and swiveled his head, lifting his bat up high.
"Did you hear that?" He asked, a slight shake in his voice.
The question was in vain. None but the one intended would hear him. He''d worked hard to master that skill. Not only did it enhance the flavor of his meal, but it was amusing as well.
"Hear what?" The one known as Vin replied. He scoffed, spitting on the floor. "You''ve watched too many horror movies. It''s probably those two rats hiding around here." He raised his voice, yelling toward the back. "You hear that, pissants? Pod''s here, so come on out and take your beatings. You better not make us look for you!"
He remained perched on the ceiling, hiding in the corner of the room. Years of observation had shown him few had the intelligence to simply look up. All the better for him.
His shadow stretched out slowly, gliding down the wall and then the floor. He brushed it against the ankle of this Hue.
"The fuck was that?" He jumped back awkwardly, glancing down at his leg and then where he had just stood. "Something just touched me. I swear."
Vin looked at his companion and then back around the room. His hand fell to his belt.
"Faust has that Haunter. It might be trying to screw with us. Don''t worry." He palmed a Pokeball and clicked its release. "Go Inkay!"
A red flash heralded the arrival of his apparent opposition. It was roughly equal in stature to Acolyte, perhaps a tad taller. It floated near the ground, tiny blue tendrils hanging beneath it. Its large black eyes stared at the one who released it.
"Find out where the rats are hiding," he ordered with a grin. "There might be a Haunter floating around, so have a Night Slash ready for it. If it''s the Sandile, then use your Lunge."
His Chosen would no doubt be offended by their sloppiness. Sandile was now a Krokorok. They would have known that had they gathered proper intelligence.
Inkay released a pulse of power, and despite his concealment, Mimikyu knew his presence had been detected.
"Pawn," the Inkay spoke to its trainer. "We tire of your inadequacies. None that you have mentioned are present."
Similar to his own words, the Inkay''s would appear incomprehensible to humans.
''This king has not sensed one such as you,'' the telepathic intrusion tickled his mind.
There was a weak link formed, and Mimikyu used it to respond.
''You still live, do you not?''
He sent a burst of humor through the connection and it was abruptly severed. Spots on the Pokemon''s head lit up, blinking in an odd pattern. Mimikyu could feel the pull''s attempt to ease him into complacency.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
It was laughable to think this supposed king could influence his thoughts.
"Well, what did he say?" Hue asked, his knuckles white from the grip on his bat. The human was practically begging to be feasted on.
Vin crossed his arms, looking down at the Pokemon.
"How am I supposed to know? I got him like a month ago." He crouched down, poking the Inkay in the forehead. "What are you waiting for? Find them already."
His finger went forward again, but before it could make contact, a brilliant burst of light caused him to fall back, shielding his eyes with an arm.
"Gah!" He yelled, flailing his limb out. He blinked, slowly regaining his sight. "What was that for, you little shit?"
Inkay floated up, rising above the human.
"Pawns do not lay their palms on a king," he said, a hint of malice showing. Black eyes turned up to the area Mimikyu was hidden in. "Who are you to challenge this king?"
King? Mimikyu had seen Totems, and this Inkay was not one. What he was, was presumptuous. Acolyte would see him brought low, to say nothing of Mimikyu. Still, Mimikyu was not Cataclysm. He had no need to prove his strength. His Chosen knew his value, and that was enough.
"Either your end or your beginning. The choice lies with you, young one."
He made no efforts to obscure his voice, and the two humans jumped, one scrambling to his feet.
"I told you something was here!" Hue voiced, glancing at the shadow Mimikyu was concealed behind.
The other calmed quickly, shaking his head.
"Shut it," he berated his companion before inclining his head toward Inkay. "Nigh Slash, flush it out."
One of Inkay''s tendrils took on a glow that indicated the use of a move, but it remained by his side.
"I have seen many moons," he refuted, to the audible laugh of Mimikyu. "However, this king is intrigued. What do you propose?"
Negotiations.
Another activity he would never have dreamed of. However, he would not fail his Chosen. Mimikyu dropped from the corner, landing limply on his side.
"The fuck?!" Vin exclaimed, seeing his prone form. "Is that a doll?"
His head shifted to face the trio, earning uneasy steps back from the humans. It was almost time, and he lamented the absence of his Chosen. They made everything more enjoyable.
"That totally moved, right?" Hue asked, pausing to gulp. "Is that a Pokemon?"
Vin snarled, evidently embarrassed at having shown such a cowardly side of himself.
"It doesn''t matter what it is," he blustered, clearly overcompensating. "Inkay, take care of it already."
Humans. How long had he tried to find one? The years blended, making it impossible for him to know. He''d tried to grow creative, coating himself with any number of disguises and using his limited skills in artistry to increase their appeal. He''d almost consigned himself to never finding one. Every attempt had led to failure. Until that one day, when he gazed from his shipwrecked domain to that which should not exist.
His Chosen.
"Shelter your eyes, young one," Mimikyu spoke, jerking his body up. "Lest your mind crumble."
The head of his doll flipped to the other side, the smile painted on its face mocking those who would stand against him.
His black tendrils seeped from his underside, spreading across the floor. He slipped his disguise up, pushing it over him. Purple eyes blinked open, shining on all those present.
Inkay was a second too late, slamming his eyes shut after catching a glimpse of him.
Foolish. He would pay for that in his nightmares to come.
"F-f-fu-fuuu." The words could not be fully formed, and Hue took a step back. The bat clattered, hitting the floor after slipping through his grip. He turned, attempting to flee.
Mimikyu would not allow that. His tendril lashed out, catching the man in the chest and slamming him into the lockers. The man collapsed with a groan, and Mimikyu inspected his companion. Vin stared at him blankly, eyes wide. His muscles were locked, and a vein pulsed on his forehead. Blood trickled down from his nose, splattering on the floor.
He''d learned to love their fear and to feed on it, but that had not been his original intention. Rejection was cruel. Bit by bit, it chipped away at it. Embracing its icy touch was a matter of survival.
Now?
Now an odd warmth filled him.
He cared little for what his Chosen was. They could have been old and fragile, able to be blown over by the weakest of breezes, or a titan, able to smash mountains with their fist.
All he wanted, all he wished for, was for his form to be seen. To be accepted.
"Young one," his voice echoed in the room. "You will direct me to a location to dispose of these two. Then we will discuss terms."
He knew of Acolyte''s current objective. It was a large one, and she would not be able to subvert the criminal underground with only Cataclysm by her side. This self-appointed king would aid her in her task, willing or not.
As the one most often held by his Chosen, Mimikyu understood them on a deeper level than the other Selected. He knew they did not wish to bring the city under heel. This was a project invented by Cataclysm and Acolyte. Whether it was a willful misinterpretation or a genuine attempt at fulfilling his Chosen''s goals was irrelevant.
They would not intentionally bring harm onto his Chosen, and if trouble did arise from their adventures, he would be there to protect his Chosen.
The thought of such events delighted him, and he realized he was letting their promised amusement color his motives.
It was problematic, but he was sure his Chosen would forgive him. After all, he was the clear favorite.
Chapter 37
"Thank you for your business. We hope to see you again soon!"
Tanya answered the cheery voice with a brief wave before exiting the establishment. Once back on the street, she let a breath out in relief.
''Trouble?''
She looked down at the Pokemon trailing her and rubbed her head. Curiously, the Pokemon didn''t shoo her away like last time. It was a mystery, just not one she thought worth the effort of solving.
"Drink your juice," she instructed, moving the loaded cup carrier closer to her mouth and taking a sip of her own. "You''ll need your vitamins."
Ralts raised the cup already in her hand and took a long drink. A burst of satisfaction was sent to Tanya, one that she echoed.
They''d made their camp after sunset the night before, right outside Camphrier town as planned. With the new day, she and her team had confidently marched into town, only to see a harrowing sight on the way in.
The town was surrounded by berry fields. There were countless rows of them planted with, from what she could tell, a wide variety of berries. It all seemed designed to hammer in what a massive blunder she had made. She was a person of the modern age, one who understood business. So how had she forgotten such a basic tenet as supply and demand? She''d foolishly loaded up on a resource that was abundant in the region. It was the type of error that made her take a good, long look at herself and reevaluate her priorities.
"Ralts. When launching a new venture, don''t forget to do market research."
She might have avoided the potential problem if she had that binder Marie put together. Perhaps she should ask for some pictures of it to be sent? The prospect filled her with reluctance. They had each other''s actual numbers now, but Tanya didn''t like messaging her. Marie had a weird way of texting, and Tanya had trouble understanding the girl. Just this morning she got a text reading only the words: I''m in.
Not wanting to be hounded, she''d sent a simple ''good job'' back.
Putting thoughts of the weird girl behind her, Tanya began walking to where she left the others. Camphrier Town was larger than the name would suggest. It was nestled against a plateau that was home to a massive residence. It was called a manor but was more akin to a fortress, with walls, watchtowers, and battlements. The landmark loomed over the town, casting its shadow over it depending on the time of day.
The town itself had a wide variety of colors. No adjacent buildings were painted the same, and many of them came up to three stories. The avenues were wide and well-paved. They were primarily dedicated to pedestrians, and she''d only seen a few vehicles since arriving. Like Lumiose, it was full of life with early morning workers commuting.
''I know, mama.''
Tanya glanced behind her to see pink eyes peering at her from behind green bangs. For a moment, she thought there might have been a smidge of attitude with that response, but it must have been her imagination.
She took another sip of her drink. It was sweet, but not overpowering. Some would claim that it being blended with her own berries made it taste sweeter, but she was not susceptible to such mental delusions.
In spite of the town being a primary berry grower of the region, she''d learned they''d consumed them at an astonishing rate. They went so far as to give out free drinks to new arrivals. That was the type of action she would normally jump to criticize, but that was only if she looked at it in a vacuum. If she considered the broader implications, it was an advertisement for both their town and its products. She could respect that.
Her berries had been exchanged for a modest sum, but for a day''s work, she wasn''t complaining. Especially since she no longer had to lug around perishable goods. She had ended up keeping some Orans, as she could make more of that salve Gurkinn had shown her.
Walking along the street, she soon spotted the, thankfully intact, playground she''d left the others at. Her pace increased as she saw Mawile standing on one end of a seesaw while gesturing to Gabite. She didn''t have to understand Pokemon to know Mawile was trying to coax Gabite into launching her up. That would have been fine, if not for the seesaw being made of wood.
"Cut it out!" She yelled, causing her team''s heads to snap to her. "That wood would snap if anyone does what you want."
Tanya knew Mawile must have understood that point, which made it all the more frustrating to deal with.
"Maw, maw!" Mawile hopped up and down excitedly, pointing at the raised end of the playground equipment. "Mawile!"
Tanya wasn''t sure what the Pokemon was thinking. It wasn''t like she could magically wave away the laws of physics. Well, not that of the integrity of wood, at least. Thankfully, she had brought a distraction with her.
"Get off that and come over here. I got you a drink."
The promise of that got a smile and Mawile leaped off the seesaw. Her landing kicked up some dirt, but she didn''t seem to mind and ran forward. Reaching up, Mawile made to snag a cup when Tanya pulled the cup carrier back.
"No." She adjusted her grip, angling one of the cups closer to Mawile. "You''ll like this one better." In a curious case of events, all of her Pokemon liked sweet flavors. However, there was some variation in their taste. Mawile in particular liked things with more of a kick. "It''s a Liechi Berry Blend."
Mawile reached up, carefully wrapping her fingers around the drink. She took a sip and her eyes went wide. She flopped onto the ground, sitting with her legs out and slowly drinking the juice.
"Carbink." Tanya continued down the line. "I got you the Salac if you feel like drinking."
He tilted his head curiously before slowly approaching. The straw disappeared into his fluffy collar, and his ears flopped up and down.
"Bin!"
He''d barely had any, but he claimed fullness. It was a recurring theme and Tanya didn''t put too much stock in it.
"Gabite, I wasn''t sure about you so I went with the most popular, Lum." The dragon reared her head back, tilting it in confusion. That was the appropriate reaction. Tanya had made her lack of enthusiasm for having to feed the beast known. However, footing the bill was better than having a dragon try to hunt in the city. "Take it."
The Pokemon''s heavy footfalls approached, and she was about to reach out when she froze, staring down at her hands, or the lack thereof.
Ah, right. Gabite had no fingers or hands to carry the cup. Tanya was searching for solutions when the drink floated up, traveling to Gabite''s maw. She looked down to see Ralts still enjoying her own drink.
At a certain point, Mimikyu had decided to leave Tanya''s pack and was now pressed against the psychic''s side. He wore a Phanpy doll today, and the drink she chose for him floated out of the carrier. The straw entered into the trunk, and she imagined an observer would have thought them having some sort of child''s tea party.
With everything distributed, she walked over to a bin and tossed her drink and the carrier, keeping Carbink''s for herself. She went back to her group, finding them already in a small huddle.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"We''ll finish up our drinks and move onto Route 7."
They''d discussed this all before, but repetition was often needed. Her eyes drifted to a certain member of the group.
"Maw?"
Tanya didn''t deign to respond to that and moved her sight to the west.
"One of the major rivers in Kalos bisects the route. It''s currently to our south, but there''s a bridge we''ll cross that puts it to the north of us. The road hugs the banks of the river, which narrows the areas he could be making camp."
With the road being the longest one in the region and a nearby waterway, Tanya could see why a poacher would set up shop here. It gave them multiple ways to move Pokemon and equipment should they wish.
"Wile, ma, wile," Mawile argued while standing, kicking away the empty cardboard cup. "Ma, wile, mawile."
Before she could order Mawile to pick up her litter, the cup bounced up and flew into the bin. The Pokemon had always been able to accomplish such things, but the occurrences had been increasing in frequency. Tanya could attribute some of that to the Twisted Spoon, but she also suspected Ralts had been secretly training. That would explain why the Energy Powder she''d provided her was almost gone.
"We''re not tourists," Tanya shot down Mawile''s request. "Sightseeing would be a waste of time. Besides, don''t you want to see what powerful Pokemon we might find off the route?"
She''d thought that would be the end of that idea, but Mawile''s hand sprang up, pointing at Carbink.
"Ma, mawile, maw, wile, wile."
Tanya''s thoughts stopped dead in their tracks, and her entire being froze. There was no way to verify, but she suspected her heart and skipped several beats. A slight breeze hit her face, causing a stray piece of hair to tickle her face and bring her back to reality.
"Y¨Cyou." She uncharacteristically tripped over her words, failing to come to grips with the situation. "You read his contract?"
What the hell? She''d watched the Pokemon sign her own. Mawile had flipped through the pages in seconds and then put her thumbprint at the end. There was no way she''d managed to read it that quickly. Let alone read Carbinks''!
"Mawile, ma, wile," Mawile placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a smug grin. "Maw."
Tanya had written the contract herself. She''d based it on one of the many employment contracts she''d sent to successful candidates in her first life. However, even if she recognized the contents of the clause Mawile was referring to, she could not quote the exact subsection.
Her fingers reached into her pocket with an amount of trepidation she didn''t know possible. She fumbled the code on her first attempt, and then almost again on the second. Successfully getting in, she navigated to where she kept the digital copies of their contracts. Her thumb pressed down on the file, and a loading wheel spun until her eyes were met with the document. Sweat was wiped on her screen with every stroke as she scrolled down. Upon reaching the page, she shut her eyes for a brief moment. Resolving herself, she opened them and read.
"Ralts," Tanya snapped, sending the Pokemon an evaluating gaze. "Did you tell her? I won''t be mad if you tell me now."
On the contrary, she''d be relieved.
''No,'' Ralts shook her head. ''Only read mine.''
This world had never made sense. Tanya had come to terms with that. However, in her entire time here, she could safely say this was the biggest shock she''d received.
Was Mawile¡ smart?
Her brain was only too eager to provide her examples proving she was not, and Tanya settled down. Yes, this was all a fluke. Nothing more.
"You''re correct," Tanya replied, making sure her voice was steady. "However, Carbink''s right to explore does not entail the whole group, and it''s his choice whether to enact it."
He''d mostly used to wander around camp. Thinking about it, she''d recently given the same privileges to Mawile for nothing. Then again, she wasn''t contractually obligated to let her have those.
Carbink didn''t seem to realize he was the center of attention. Even when all eyes were on him, he simply blinked at her.
"Maw," Mawile stepped in front of him, placing two hands on his side and bringing him close. "Wile, ma, wile."
If Mawile had been trying to coerce a specific decision from Carbink, that would merit an intervention. However, she was only explaining the options. Tanya was having trouble figuring out what her motives here were. She never expressed such interest in Lumiose, but maybe that''s what her walks were about? There was something she was missing here.
''Big Sis,'' Ralts filled in for her.
Tanya had enough scares today and wasn''t looking to confront the implications of that concept. This called for a reassessment of her position. A tactical retreat of a kind.
"Change of plans," she unilaterally declared. "We''ll take a look around. Maybe float his name around and see if that gets any reactions."
Humans were weak creatures. They didn''t like putting up with discomfort, so there were decent odds he''d wandered into town before seeking some relief from the wilderness. She wasn''t sure if he was smart enough to use an alias, but on the off chance he wasn''t, then they might find some success.
There was a risk of tipping him off, but Tanya wasn''t too worried about that. After all, she was just a little girl who didn''t know any better.
"Your saying all your fields are plowed by a singular Snorlax?" Tanya asked, not masking her disbelief. "And in a day no less?"
She was sitting on a stool at an outdoor juice bar. Since they were invented, bars or taverns were the places to gather information. With her age, this was the best she could do.
Her eyes strayed to the side, where she saw her team lined up. This wasn''t the first place they''d stopped, and while she''d begrudgingly allowed Mawile to guzzle down her fill, the others would not be given the same pass. They''d each already had a minimum of two, and she was not spoiling their appetite by letting them overindulge.
"Yep," the barkeep responded. His back was to them, and he was currently rinsing out a blender. "He comes by every year to eat the stubble left after harvest season. I don''t think he means to, but he ends up plowing the whole thing before going back to sleep. His snores are something else, but we''re grateful to him. During the annual festival, Lord Shabboneau plays his Poke Flute to wake him up and then we stuff him with as many berries as he can eat. Gotta make sure the big lug keeps coming back."
As much as a Snorlax could eat was a dangerous proposition. However, their method was better than capturing the glutton. This way, they were only responsible for one meal out of the year. She did find it amusing that they had essentially made the Snorlax a contractor, but she kept that to herself.
"I heard about Lord Shabboneau. We were hoping to visit his manor, but it appears he is out."
The residence was their primary claim to fame, and it was open to the public. They just had bad luck with the owner being away right now. At least they''d found that out before making the trek up.
"He''s a good man. The type that couldn''t do enough for you. He had to pay a visit to the Parfum Palace but if you stick around a little, I''m sure he''ll be back. How long are you in town for?"
That was the question she''d been going for. While she loathed this type of small talk, it was necessary at times.
"I''m passing through, but my dad was hoping I could get in contact with an old friend of his. It''s been years since they''ve seen each other, but he heard that he might be in the area. Probably camping somewhere nearby. He''s a real outdoorsy type."
The barkeep gave a hum of understanding, turned off the faucet, and then grabbed a towel. He turned, facing her as he dried the plastic container.
"Sounds like a backpacker. We get a lot of those on their way to Connecting Cage. What''s the name?"
Tanya sucked on her straw, producing a slurping sound and showing she''d already finished her drink. Would it be wrong to order another?
''Moderation, mama.''
Her eyes flickered to Ralts. She was sitting politely with her hands folded in her lap. That image would have been more convincing if she could not feel the self-satisfaction radiating from her. Maybe she should have let the Pokemon drink all she wanted, only to run them all through drills afterward.
"Dolan," she responded, while still considering her idea.
That would be wrong¡ wouldn''t it? She wouldn''t have hesitated to put the 203rd through it, but times called for change, and Tanya was nothing if not adaptable.
"Dolan, huh?" The barkeep rubbed his chin, looking into the distance with squinted eyes. "Dolan, Dolan, Dolan, where have I heard that name before?"
Tanya perked up, regarding the man with new-found interest. Everyone else they''d spoken to hadn''t a clue of who they were talking about. His fingers snapped, and she sat straighter.
"I remember now. That''s the big fella with a red nose. It''s been a while since I''ve seen him. He used to drive his truck into town all the time. Always picking up wood or bags of concrete, construction-type stuff. I figured he was a builder or something."
She committed the description to memory and considered the rest. From her understanding, poachers were generally nomadic. This was to stay ahead of the league and to exploit untapped Pokemon populations. Why would this one be building something? Did he perhaps have too many Pokemon captured?
"Was there anyone else with him?" She asked, only realizing a moment later how that might have sounded. "Dad said he was a bit of a loner. I was wondering if that''s still the case."
Facilities meant this might be more than a solo operation on his part. That brought her level of anticipation up. If there were more poachers, they surely had more firearms.
"He had a Diggersby, but apart from that, I don''t remember him being with anyone."
Maybe he was just the errand boy then? It was possible.
"You wouldn''t happen to know anything more about where he might be, do you? My dad didn''t say it outright, but he''s worried about his well-being."
Planting a seed of doubt about the man''s survival was good, but she wasn''t hung up about it. There was an inherent expectation that going off-route could lead to a person''s disappearance. It was a hazard of this world, and one not often taken seriously enough.
Dolan had it worse than most, as being a poacher meant it was inevitable that he would piss off an overly powerful Pokemon and meet his doom.
Tanya was simply expediting the process.
Chapter 38
The plan had been to enter the route, cross the bridge, and then leave the road traveling south.
They made it about ten feet off the beaten path before grinding to a halt.
"Try to stay still if you can, young lass," an older man directed toward her. He was bald, with a dark tan, and a scraggly white beard that hung off his face. There was a palette with a multitude of colors held in his hand, and around his waist was a stained apron. In front of him was a wooden easel. A canvas rested on it, hidden from her view. "I know you young ones love to run about, but I promise this will be worth it."
She was skeptical of that, to say the least.
''Smile, mama.''
Tanya tightened her hold on the Pokemon, attempting to convey some of her frustration. Given that Ralts was an empath, it shouldn''t have been necessary, and yet she kept finding herself in these situations.
She was seated on a smoothed rock, Ralts and Mimikyu on her lap. To her right was a floating Carbink. Posed on top of him with her fist held high was Mawile. She''d fallen off several times but overall had been surprisingly still. Gabite was at her left, barely in the frame. Her back was to them, with her arms crossed and teeth on full display.
This time, it was no resting dragon face. Her guard was fully up, and she was very much not enthused by their other company.
"Stop that," Tanya chided through her teeth. "Shoo already."
Upon crossing the treeline, they''d been ambushed. It disturbed her quite a bit to be caught so off guard. One moment everything was fine, and the next, she was being assaulted with¡ flowers.
"Flo, flo, ette?" one of her aggressors questioned with a tilt of its tiny white head. "Floette?"
"Flo!"
"Et!"
"Floet!"
The chorus responded, and the Floette dancing around her head approached, swapping out the red flower that had been placed behind her ear with a pink one.
"Floet?" It, once again, asked the peanut gallery what they thought. "Et?"
A pack, or garden, she wasn''t sure what the correct term would be, of Floette had surrounded them. There were over a dozen of them now, and more kept on arriving. It was absolutely absurd. If that wasn''t bad enough, a painter had wandered by and then, ''had to capture the moment.'' As if she didn''t have a stupid camera that could do it for them.
Her traitorous team had unanimously agreed to pose for the painting. Tanya maintained this was in no way a democracy. It just so happened that she kept having to change her plans in response to them.
Another flower was placed in her hair, causing her to begin gnashing her teeth. She stopped the self-destructive action and took a breath, releasing it slowly.
Right, this was not all bad. In the grand scope of things, being delayed a few hours was not a great hardship. Still, if she had to be here, she might as well be productive with her time.
"Do you paint here often?" she asked, ensuring she didn''t move too much. "Route 7, I mean."
The man hummed, dabbing his paintbrush delicately before making brush strokes beyond her sight.
"Most of my life," he responded after some time. "It''s a bit busier these days with the increased traffic, but there''s still beauty to capture out here."
While she had seen the occasional motor vehicle, it was nothing compared to what she remembered the streets of Tokyo were like. However, there were a decent number of vessels on the river. She suspected that was how most of their goods were transported. With the natural waterways spreading across the region and perilous routes, it was no mystery why they preferred that method of transport.
"I''ve heard of that," Tanya said slowly, as if taking some time to remember. "There''s this one in particular I was warned about. It''s a small gray truck that''s been known to run people off the road."
The juice bar worker had not known where Dolan was, but he had provided a description of his vehicle. What he called a truck was more akin to a Jeep, with its open cabin and cargo area in the back. She kept to the definition of the locals, not wanting to cause confusion.
"Oh, I know that one." The edges of his mouth quirked down, a slight frown coming over him. He wagged the brush toward the road, flinging paint in that direction. "Menace he is. I''ve complained to the local Jenny, but it has been years and she hasn''t caught him yet."
Ralts shifted in her lap, and her horn took a dim glow. There was a small pulse of psychic power, and her unwanted hairstylist quirked its head.
"Floet, Floette, ette?"
Floette''s response informed her of what had been asked, and she resisted the urge to pat Ralts'' head. Having both of them question the natives would produce better results.
"He''s not even the only one," the painter continued, his brush dabbing his palette with more force than was necessary. "There''s a whole group of them that like to race up and down with their fancy cars. One in particular, a bald fellow, has a new convertible every week. I know it''s him because of the Houndoom in the passenger seat. Must be a part of some racing club. I tell you, I''ll never understand why you youngsters are so eager to race through life."
This was a dangerous development, and Tanya wasted no time in providing her response.
"Don''t even think about it," Tanya said, eyeing Mawile from the corner of her eyes. The grin she received did not inspire confidence. "We''re not here for that."
She was not aware of the legalities around Pokemon operating motorized vehicles, but one Mawile joyride was enough for this life.
"Wile~" the troublemaker sang, giving a promise that neither of them believed.
Tanya decided to look at the silver lining. It would take one hell of a car crash to put her in the hospital, and she always had Moonlight to patch herself up. Those details made her feel better, and she moved their conversation along.
"That''s a shame to hear about," she offered in an attempt to build rapport. "Do any of them go off-road? I''ve been avoiding it for that reason. I''d rather not pay for the recklessness of others."
More than she already did, that is.
He hummed again, making a brush stroke. Pausing, he squinted at his painting before responding.
"No¡ most of them stay on the road. Though, I think I may have seen that one you mentioned head off near the west end of the route. It''s hard to say for sure; there''s only so much room in this old noggin of mine." He ended with a laugh and a knock on his head.
The area they had to cover continuously shrunk, and it was difficult to hide her reaction to that. Her finger twitched, longing for the comfort of a steel trigger pressing against it. Soon it would be satiated, and that fact made her giddy inside.
"Now that''s a smile," the man said, a hint of excitement in his tone. "Hold that lass."
She''d been smiling ever since Ralts complained about it, so she wasn''t sure what he was referring to.
A snap followed by an angry huff caused her eyes to stray toward Gabite. A trio of Floette were fluttering around her head. They giggled at the warning bite, daring each other to boop the dragon''s nose again. Having her own hair turned into an improvised bouquet, Tanya understood how Gabite was feeling.
"Flo, ette, floet," the Floette messing with her hair said, nodding to itself before looking over its shoulder at the rest of its companions.
"Floet!" One of them leaped, twirling in the air while agreeing with its compatriot
It kicked off a wave of similar actions, the Pokemon fluttering about, using the wind to keep them aloft.
Tanya didn''t have to prompt Ralts, and she felt the subtle tinge of psychic power as the Pokemon in her lap inquired about this ''sage'' they spoke so highly of.
"In all my years." The man leaned back with a smile. "I''ve never seen them act so lively. They usually hide away in the brush, but they can''t seem to get enough of you."
She had noticed and had a theory for that.
"I recently came in contact with a large amount of berries and other greenery. That must be what''s attracted them."
With the evolution line being known to search far and wide for such things, it was the logical conclusion.
"Bi¡ª"
Carbink''s reply was cut off, having his ear pulled by Mawile. Whispers were exchanged and a series of glances were sent in her direction. She raised an eyebrow at that, and Mawile waved a hand toward her.
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The action clearly told her to mind her own business. The problem was that she was fairly sure it was her business being discussed.
"Gab!" Gabite lunged forward, snapping only at air. She snarled, her tail slamming on the ground. "Bite, gab!"
The Floette took the wrong lesson from that, and as one, they linked hands, forming a ring around the Pokemon.
''Floet, tte, floet, ett~" they sang in unison, much to the dragon''s aggravation.
Gabite and she, being the only ones to be harassed, struck her as odd, but she didn''t have too long to mull over that.
"Behave!" she barked. It had been meant for Gabite, but curiously, the Floette froze, falling to the ground in slow motion.
"Really have a way with them." She heard the painter mutter. He took a step back and put his hand on his chin, evaluating the canvas. His eyes strayed to them before he took a few last strokes. "There, that should do it."
That was far quicker than she anticipated, and she set Ralts and Mimikyu on the ground before walking over. Mawile scurried past her, with Carbink bumping into Tanya''s side as she came to a stop in front of the portrait.
"What do you think?" he asked.
She stood with her team, studying the wet canvas. Mawile leaned in the closest, her face less than an inch away. To her right, Ralts held Mimikyu as high as she could, giving him a better view. Carbink, uninterested, nuzzled into Tanya instead. Meanwhile, Gabite lingered a short distance away, glancing at the canvas from the corner of her eye.
Objectively speaking, the painter had captured their likeness. That was normally the extent to which she could evaluate art. She had never understood that world. Why would anyone pay millions for a piece of canvas with some paint on it? It was illogical.
And yet, for some inexplicable reason, when she asked herself how much she was willing to pay for this portrait¡ no answer came.
Tanya marched through the forest, team in tow. In her pack was an item ball with the painting securely held inside. It felt like a bit of a waste, but it was the easiest way to transport it. The painter had ended up gifting it to her, saying the experience was more than enough for him. A part of her wondered if she still looked like some starving runaway, but her more rational side deduced it was simply the whims of a man in retirement.
"Gab¡" the dragon said from behind her.
She wasn''t thrilled over their current course of action either. Following strange Pokemon to see this ''sage'' seemed every bit of a trap. However, if the pack had wanted to attack them, there had already been ample opportunity. Having Ralts monitor their emotions certainly helped bolster her confidence.
"Will you quit it?" she asked the rock by her side, trying and failing to push him away. "Focus on the surroundings."
Whatever had gotten into Carbink, she hoped it would pass. He''d been extraordinarily clingy ever since they split ways with the painter.
She put her mind off it, scanning the area herself. The forest was thick. Not enough to block all sunlight, but enough so that sneaking up on someone would be trivial. It had been oddly peaceful, but she attributed that to the Floette guiding them. If she had traversed it herself, she would have worried about stumbling over the territory of powerful wild Pokemon.
"Maw, ileeeee," Mawile groaned, having quickly grown bored during their trek. "Ile."
Despite her attitude, Tanya didn''t miss the way Mawile''s head flicked toward every noise. She was alert and ready. It was something Tanya approved of.
"We''re almost there," she replied, relaying the information they''d been told minutes ago. "Then we can see what this sage is about."
At the mention of the name, several Floette turned.
"Ette!"
"Floet!"
"Loe!"
It was all information they''d heard before. The Pokemon had nothing but praise for this sage of theirs. If what they claimed was true, then Dolan was as good as found. Terms such as all-knowing, benevolent, and keeper of secrets were all generously thrown about. It was said nothing in the forest was beyond her knowledge. Tanya knew that in this world of Pokemon, it was not an impossibility, and the reminder made her want to turn tail and run.
However, if one claim was true, it held that all were. In that case, she''d meet this altruistic sage of theirs.
"Wile!" Mawile responded, smacking her fist together.
Right, and if all went Mawile, they had Mawile.
''Don''t need sage,'' an almost petulant voice sounded in her head.
This was another recent development. Despite claiming there was no danger, Ralts had a bone to pick with this sage of theirs. Given it was impossible that they had ever met, Tanya wasn''t sure what had caused it.
"It doesn''t hurt to ask," she counseled, still keeping a lookout. "If she doesn''t have what we need, then we still partially mapped out the forest."
The feeling of reluctant acceptance came over, and they settled into silence, observing the forest as they went further into its depths.
Slowly, the surrounding greenery began to change. The trees became bigger, the grass greener, the flowers more vibrant. Eventually, they came across a wall of thorns. Bushes looked to have been overgrown, wrapping around trees and blocking their advance. Peering up, she could see it stretched over ten meters high.
"Floet, ette, float~"
Their song filled the forest, and a section of thorns receded, creating a doorway. Most of their guides dashed toward it, with some others urging her forward. Before she could say anything, Mawile had already skipped through the hole.
Sighing, she followed with the rest of her party.
"Fla? Be, be!" Excited shouts heralded a greeting party. "Be, be!"
Flab¨¦b¨¦ appeared from every angle, swarming the Floette, who embraced them. She noticed some of the Floette who had been carrying extra flowers begin to distribute them to the younger Pokemon, who took them with absolute glee.
Tanya took in the sight of a massive tree. It was at the center of this hidden grove, and its roots ran the full length of it. They looped at points, creating pockets of dirt that were populated with countless flowers. From its branches hung vines, and she could see Flab¨¦b¨¦ and Floette use them to travel up to small structures built in its canopy. They appeared almost like birdhouses formed from large leaves. The trunk itself was five meters thick and covered with colorful patches of moss.
At the base of the tree was a Florges. It was blue and stood at roughly Mawile''s height. Half-lidded eyes examined them, and a few of the Floette ran to it, chattering away. The Pokemon''s arm stretched out, beckoning them.
Tanya gave her team a glance before stepping forward, giving a slight bow.
"Hello Sage, we''ve come seeking¡ª"
A raised palm cut her off, and the Pokemon shook its head.
"Florg, ges," it explained, stepping out of the way and waving a hand toward the trunk.
Moss parted, revealing that the tree was hollow. There was a haze blocking their sight further, and Tanya was about to refuse to enter such a cramped space when mist flooded out.
Her reaction was quick, and a hexagonal shield was projected in front of her.
"Bin," Carbink said, nudging her with disapproval. "Car."
''Not hostile,'' Ralts informed a moment later, and Tanya let the shield fall.
The glowing pink mist didn''t stop, swirling around their group. Each rotation had it travel higher, and it created a sort of cocoon before bursting and throwing the grove into darkness. As if to compensate, the grass lit up, taking on an eerie glow that provided only enough light to see shapes.
One such shape emerged from the tree, and before she could wonder what it was, a single ray of sunlight shone down.
The Florges took a deep bow, with the Floette following and then the Flab¨¦b¨¦. Tanya had questions, but they would have to wait, and she mimicked their actions, bowing to the sage.
"Floet," the sage''s angelic voice echoed through the grove. "Ette."
One of those questions was why a Florges would be bowing to a Floette.
Chapter 39
The display was¡ something. She was pretty sure the opening move was Misty Terrain, followed by Grassy Terrain. Then there was something in the Sage''s voice that appeared unnatural, but Tanya couldn''t pin it down to a specific move.
''Wasteful,'' Ralts conveyed her thoughts, and Tanya was in agreement.
Mostly, that is. Demonstrations of power had their use in prepping the field for negotiations, but the way Floette used these moves, while visually impressive, wasn''t intimidating. Perhaps that was her point? A subtle showing of power designed to inform but not alarm the other party of her capability. If that was the case, it was respectable.
The Pokemon herself, for all the reverence the others seemed to place on her, appeared painfully normal. There was nothing remarkable about her color or size, and the red flower, while more vibrant than the others she''d seen, was nothing extraordinary. The only thing out of place on her was the necklace she wore. It was composed of string wrapped around a red and black bead. The bead caught her eye, but she couldn''t say why.
Tanya took a mental step back and focused on the facts. There had to be nearly fifty Pokemon in this grove, and they all bowed to one. If that wasn''t enough, there was a third-stage evolution among them. It was not definitive proof of Floette''s personal strength, but it also wasn''t something she could ignore.
She seemed to recall this was a line that required a Shiny Stone for its final evolution. With such a blocker, it was probable that Floette had simply never found one and so was stuck at her current evolution stage, despite having an inordinate amount of power.
Realizing she was staring, Tanya cleared her throat.
"Thank you. We''ve come seeking¡ª" Tanya paused, seeing Florges raise her head and shake it. A finger was raised to the Pokemon''s mouth, and Tanya took the cue for what it was and waited.
"Flo," the Pokemon said airily, waving her hand in the air. "Ette, flo."
So she knew why they were here. It could have been this ability Tanya had heard about, but the more rational conclusion was that she was informed by one of her followers.
Floette took a deep breath, and the tree behind her began to rustle. Leaves were ripped from their branches, soaring into the air. They resembled a storm above them, partially blocking the sun''s rays.
"Maw?" Mawile questioned, taking half a step forward.
Tanya placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. This didn''t read like an attack; it was too telegraphed.
Confirming her prediction, whatever powered the leaves was cut off, and they began falling gently to the earth. A light breeze swept into the grove, throwing the discarded foliage into slight disarray.
"Ette," Floette commanded, her voice containing that angelic quality. "Flo!"
Despite not seeing the point, Tanya complied with the request and stuck out a hand, snatching a falling leaf at random.
"Like this?" she asked for good measure, receiving a reassuring smile.
Without needing to be given an order, Florges approached her and retrieved the leaf with both hands. She walked over to Floette, bowing deeply while presenting the leaf to the Sage.
Floette grasped the bit of plant matter, and her hands ran over it, tracing its veins. The action reminded Tanya of palm reading. The Pokemon''s eyes stayed glued to it for some time before traveling back to Tanya and company.
"Ette," she announced, waving a hand. "Floette."
With that said, she dropped the leaf and twirled her flower once before returning to the tree.
The sound of clapping filled the grove as its residents rose, hurling praise onto their sage.
"Fla!"
"Float!"
"Bebe!"
"Ette!"
Tanya gave the Sage the benefit of the doubt and seriously mulled over what she''d just been told. It took less than a second to confirm her initial assumption that the directions provided by Floette were, charitably speaking, dubious.
"Excuse me," Tanya nearly shouted. Floette froze mid-step, and the clapping awkwardly died down. Realizing she had to mind her words, Tanya cautiously continued. "I apologize, but I think there''s been a mix-up. What I seek cannot be inside of me."
Floette turned back and tilted her head.
"Floette?"
Was she sure? Yes, she very much was. Physically speaking, her frame could not contain three hundred pounds of poacher.
"Floet!" she declared, smacking one palm into another. "Floette!"
She was claiming that was a test of Tanya''s resolve. How did that make sense?
Before she could politely voice her skepticism, Floette extended both arms, a ball of green light springing to life.
Mawile raised a finger to her chin, tapping it in thought. A growl came from behind her, and she stuck out an arm, making sure Gabite would not lunge. She sent both Pokemon a small shake of her head.
The Energy Ball hadn''t been launched, and while she didn''t know Floette''s intention behind it, avoiding it should be child''s play for all of them. If any of them managed to get hit, the remedial training provided would be worse than any wounds received.
Floette stood there, both hands rotating around the ball. The energy within fluctuated, changing hues and density by the second. Shapes could almost be seen inside, and Floette peered at it intensely.
"Ette," she said with a deep voice that, to Tanya, came off as forced. "Floet."
The ball blinked out of existence, and Floette raised her chin high. Applause filled the grove again, and Tanya narrowed her eyes.
Patience and persistence will light the way to what she sought?
What kind of fortune cookie bullshit was that? She wanted actionable information, preferably coordinates, to where Dolan was shacking up. Her goal wasn''t some vague quest, but a clearly defined objective.
"I''m afraid that still doesn''t answer my question," Tanya said, earning a series of gasps from the audience. "Can you please be more specific? I would greatly appreciate it."
Floette stiffened for a moment. Her eyes seemed to tremble, but she managed to hold Tanya''s stare. A bead of sweat was allowed to roll down the Pokemon''s forehead as her mouth opened.
"Floet," she repeated the same from earlier. "Et."
No, this was not a test. This was nonsense.
Floette raised her hands again, reaching toward the sky. Her body glowed white, and high above, a shooting star appeared, soaring into the distance.
She pointed at the star and spoke with authority.
"Floette, lo, te."
Even if Tanya was the type to chase stars, which she wasn''t, that was totally the move Wish, and there was no way Dolan was at the other end of it.
She glanced around, seeing the looks of awe on the grove''s denizens. Did they all seriously buy this fortune teller schtick?
Pink eyes met hers, and Tanya wasn''t sure which of them picked the word, but ''fraud'' echoed prominently in her mind.
At that moment, she came to the conclusion that in contrast to their bright colors, the Florges line was rather dull. It was the most reasonable explanation of how Floette had managed to hoodwink so many of her brethren.
This presented an opportunity. It was risky, but with her team by her side, she felt confident in pulling it off.
"Thank you for your great wisdom." Tanya offered platitudes for the benefit of the group. "Would it be possible to gain a private audience with your esteemed self?"
In other words, would Floette please isolate herself from her followers to be more easily extorted? It was harsh, but Tanya''s time was valuable, and Floette had just wasted it. She wouldn''t go so far as to rob the Pokemon blind, but she''d get her reparations.
Tanya did her best to present an innocent appearance as Floette''s eyes roamed up and down her. She wasn''t sure if she had passed the inspection, but the Pokemon''s attention soon drifted to the team.
Seconds turned to minutes, and Tanya suspected her intentions had been seen through. Her fingers tapped on her thigh, hoping those hours of study were not wasted. If they weren''t, then her team now knew their roles should hostilities break out. Tanya herself would be responsible for taking Floette hostage. Once she secured her, it would be a tense but sound retreat.
Floette swallowed, and her shoulders began to sag before being pulled back upright.
Stolen story; please report.
"Floet," she finally said, surprising Tanya with the conviction in her voice. "Ette."
She turned and passed through the layer of fog obscuring the interior of the trunk.
Tanya''s request being granted set her on edge again, and she tried to think of something she could have missed. Carbink had no such reservations, and before she could call him back, he disappeared through the door. Mawile chased after him, a disconcerting grin on her face.
In fairness, that was the order she would have decided on. Carbink to withstand the alpha strike, and Mawile to punish the attacker. She paced after them, the rest of her team in tow.
"Watch the door," Tanya ordered Gabite, knowing it would be a tight fit for the Pokemon. "And try not to start a fight you won''t win."
That would be any fight surrounded by fairies, but Gabite shoul¡ª Gabite hopefully knew better.
With some trepidation, Tanya stepped through the fog, and a myriad of smells and sights assaulted her senses.
Her nose wrinkled. The prevalent scent was of freshly cut grass; however, there was something else underneath it. Not being able to place the smell, she took in the room. It wasn''t as cramped as she had been led to believe, but that had less to do with the four meters of floor space and more to do with the height being double that length.
There was a decent amount of light provided by the glowing moss that grew on the walls. It let her easily spot two large clay pots placed against the far wall. There were shelves behind them holding bowls and cups. In front of them, at the center of the room, was a small table sized to fit Floette. There was a deck of cards spilled over it, and bundles of non-fluorescent moss were pushed up against it, serving as seating.
Mawile was next to the pots, knocking on one with her ear placed to its side while Carbink was¡ pushing a hammock?
Above the pots was a hammock made of vines; it was currently occupied by a red-faced Floette. She swung lazily back and forth, with her hand holding her flower sweeping the air. Tanya couldn''t clearly see her other hand, but she looked to be holding something.
"Carbink," her chiding voice rang out. "What are you doing?"
He didn''t so much as turn to her as he replied.
"Bin, bink!"
It wasn''t the worst of things, but there was no reason to waste his effort on it.
"The ''not doing what strangers tell you'' rule applies to sages as well¡ªespecially when they''re fakes."
Tanya had expected some reaction to calling out the Pokemon. What she hadn''t expected was for the Pokemon to lazily turn her head and blow a raspberry at her.
It was a dramatic shift from the way she carried herself outside, and Tanya frowned at the display.
"Floooo, etttttttt," Floette said, waving down at Mawile.
The words weren''t incoherent, but there was an unexpected degree of difficulty in understanding them. It was only after Mawile opened the pot that Tanya gathered that Floette had set to ''help yourself.''
A burning smell assaulted her nose. It was almost fruity but reminded her more of rubbing alcohol than anything.
Mawile grabbed a cup, and her arm dipped into the container. Tanya pieced together what was about to happen, and dashing faster than she ever had before, she slapped the cup out of Mawile''s hand.
Or she tried to, as it was replaced in the last instant with a similar, but empty, cup. She was too slow to stop her movement, and the new cup shattered against the wall, breaking into several pieces.
Tanya let out a breath while trying to slow down her breathing. Mawile reached out for another glass, and Tanya realized the danger hadn''t passed. She grabbed Mawile by the collar and yanked her away from the pot, dragging the limp Pokemon and throwing her into one of the moss chairs.
"Don''t drink things offered by strangers," Tanya said, feeling this was something that shouldn''t need explaining. "For all you know, it could be poisoned."
There was a ruffling from the hammock, and Floette tipped out, falling to the floor in an uncoordinated heap. She walked back her thought as she observed the Pokemon''s extended arm, holding the missing cup. Not a single drop had spilled during the fall.
"Loetttt, ette!" Floette shouted from the floor, picking herself up. She swayed before planting her flower down to steady herself. Blinking for a few seconds, her eyes seemed to clear up, and she continued her tirade. "Flo! Floette!"
Tanya stared at the Pokemon flatly before walking past her. She approached the jars and took a cup, filling it. She dipped a finger in the liquid before bringing it to her lips.
Her face twisted.
"Alcohol is considered a poison," she said while placing the cup back on the shelf. "And that''s strong enough to power an engine."
It had also been strong enough to make Floette drunk after a few sips, which was impressive in its own right.
Tanya covered the lid back up, sealing the high-proof liquor away. Thankfully, she''d not hesitated; otherwise, she might have had to deal with a drunk Mawile.
Tanya shivered at the thought.
"Ette," Floette replied with indignation, taking a deep drink. "Flo!"
If that was juice, then why did it look like a stiff breeze would topple the Pokemon over?
"Whatever berries made these underwent fermentation; that means it''s not juice," Tanya corrected the Pokemon''s definition. "Why are you drinking in the first place? Aren''t you afraid of what your followers might think?"
Floette nearly fell to the ground again, a roaring laugh coming from her small frame. It was drawn out, and tears began to form. The Pokemon pulled on the white protrusions hanging off the side of her head.
"Floette, te, etteeee," she said, her tongue laden with frustration. She rolled her head and managed to lose her balance, falling on her back while continuing her complaints. "Floet! Ette! Flooooo."
The temper tantrum was undignified but informative. Tanya ran a hand down her face, concealing her expression as she recalled her own struggles. Once the action was complete, she looked down on Floette with not a trace of pity in her eyes.
"You managed to trick a bunch of Pokemon into believing in your every word and action, boohoo."
Was this a joke Being X was trying to play on her? If so, it fell flat. They weren''t remotely similar. Living up to her soldier''s image had her diving deep into the heart of the enemy. Floette just had to pretend to have the answers to things, and with what she witnessed outside, it wasn''t a difficult task.
"Flo! Et!" she yelled from her position on the floor. "Oet."
Tanya snorted, crossing her arms and looking at the Pokemon dismissively.
"Oh, forgive me. I failed to consider how trapped you must feel. It must be so hard to go about your days having everyone do what you ask."
Floette''s head rose, and she nodded enthusiastically, missing or ignoring the heavy sarcasm in Tanya''s voice.
"Floet," the Pokemon agreed with her. She raised her glass, and her face turned crestfallen as she realized it was empty. She turned on her belly and began crawling toward the jars. Tanya stepped in her way, removing the cup from her hand. "Ette!"
"I think you''ve had enough," Tanya said while placing the cup with the others. "How did you even get into this position?"
Furniture wasn''t exclusive to humans, but the arrangement in this trunk didn''t seem like something a wild Pokemon would come up with on their own, and the less said about the alcohol element, the better.
"Floette, float, ette," she explained, talking into the floor.
Tanya doubted it had ''just sort of happened.'' The Pokemon was clearly trying to evade responsibility for her actions.
Taking another look around, Tanya found nothing of value and sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Well, best of luck with your situation," she replied with a lack of sincerity. "We''ll be going now. I''d recommend a vacation if they''re really getting to you."
She was tempted to make this her base of operations, but Floette seemed like a mess, and Tanya wanted no part of that.
"Flo!" Floette''s head shot up. She stumbled to her feet, smacking a fist into her palm as if coming upon a great realization. A white hand pointed at Tanya. "Floe, ette!"
There were a lot of things not happening. High on that list was Floette tagging along, even if it was for a short while.
"Maw," Mawile replied in an unmoved tone. She walked over to Floette, grabbed one of her arms, and raised her into the air, shaking her frail form. "Wile."
Floette let it happen, a wide smile forming on her face.
"Floette, te, ette," she admitted. "Ette, te."
Tanya paused, somewhat impressed with how Floette could advertise her lack of combat ability with such pride. She''d phrased it as knowing her limits and when to stay out of the way, which was skill.
''Burden,'' Ralts supplied, which Tanya agreed with.
Gesturing to Mawile to release her, Tanya turned for the door.
"Flo, ette, floette," Floette spoke quickly and coherently for someone who was inebriated moments ago. "Ette, flo."
Floette had just said she was helpless in combat, but now she was claiming to be the equivalent of a champion?
Was she one of those compulsive liars? One thing was for sure: she was no champion.
''Technically,'' Ralts spoke into her head, accompanying it with a feeling of reluctance. ''True.''
Tanya faced the Pokemon, who was resting against her flower. The smile had turned into a confident smirk.
"Do you want to provide any context for that?"
Floette cheerily shook her head in denial.
Mawile snatched the flower, causing the Pokemon to hop unsteadily and wave her hands to prevent another fall. A knife soon planted itself in the floor before Floette.
"Floe, ette," she said, holding her arms in surrender.
The word equivalent was doing some heavy lifting. She''d been on the team of someone who won the title of Kalos Queen. It wasn''t related to actual royalty, but to someone who won the Pokemon version of beauty pageants. If they were anything like her first world, that wasn''t something worth boasting to her about.
"And why did you leave such gainful employment?"
Kalos Queens were celebrities. The amount of money they could pull in by simply wearing a particular brand of shoes dwarfed what Tanya had earned up until now, not counting her illiquid assets. Being a member of that team would have been a cushy assignment.
"Floe, ette," she explained self-righteously.
It was a neat response and painted Floette in a positive light, displaying her supposed moral high ground.
Parting due to differing ethical standards may have caused others to praise Floette''s character, but those sorts of values never appealed to Tanya.
''Released in disgrace,'' Ralts transmitted to her, painting an entirely different picture.
Without knowing the exact details, Tanya already felt that description fit better.
"Can you be more specific? There must have been an instance that triggered your departure."
Floette tilted her head, the answer not coming readily.
"Floe, ette, te," she said in a manner that conveyed her confusion.
A Kalos Queen not wanting to win as badly as the alcoholic in front of her? Not only was that dubious, but it didn''t answer her questions.
''Drugged competition. Banned from future events. Title stripped.''
What?
Scenes flashed in her head. It was like flipping through a photo album. One that showed Floette replacing the juice of several finalists with some of her own making. It ended with Pokemon puking over judges and a medal hanging around Floette.
"How did you only get banned for that?" Tanya found herself asking the cheater before her. "There had to have been criminal charges."
She wasn''t sure which laws Floette had broken, but with such a public spectacle, she should have been held accountable.
"Floette, floe, ette," she said simply.
"Why can''t you tell me for another three years, five months, and seven days?"
That was a very specific number, and to her ears, it sounded like another attempt to avoid the question.
"Flo."
Or the Pokemon could have signed an NDA. Tanya looked at Ralts, trying to contain her flabbergasted expression.
''True¡''
This Pokemon had achieved a dangerous level of shamelessness.
"That''s all very," Tanya paused, searching for a diplomatic word before deciding to be honest. "Ridiculous. I don''t think we''ll find any common ground. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to track down a poacher."
What she really needed to do was get away from this Pokemon. She was aiming to be a proper citizen and didn''t want to spend time around a re-offender waiting to happen.
Tanya had turned on her heel when a pondering voice rang out.
"Flo?"
Was she really going to try another parlor trick? Next, she''d be reading tarot cards.
"Yes, that''s his name," Tanya said in a tired fashion. "I presume your followers told you?"
She received a shake of the head, but Tanya didn''t buy it.
"Floe." She spread her arms wide and then hopped once. "Floet."
Tanya paused, realizing she''d never given their guides a description of the man or his traveling companion. Yet, Floette had just recited them both.
"I¡ªyes. That''s who we''re looking for," she eyed the Pokemon carefully. "How do you know that?"
That chin was raised high again, and the Pokemon shouted decisively.
"Flo! Ette!"
In an action that made Tanya wonder if Mawile had any latent psychic abilities, her Pokemon grabbed Floette''s heart-shaped stem and hoisted her upside down.
Walking over, Tanya crouched so that she was level with Floette''s face.
"We''ve already established you''re not a sage." She poked the Pokemon in the chest, causing her body to sway back. "So start talking, and maybe we can work something out."
It was at that moment Tanya noticed that the smile on Floette''s face hadn''t budged. Her hand reached down to her waist, finding her pouch that contained her cash still in place.
For some reason, she suddenly had the premonition she was the one about to be shaken down.